Emergency Curfew Enacted in City of Riverside
Published: 06/02/2020
UPDATED ON JUNE 2, 2020 AT 4:00 P.M.
The existing curfew for the city of Riverside was lifted this morning and is NOT currently in place. If direction changes, please stay tuned to our City, Riverside Police Department, and City of Riverside Fire Department's social media pages as well as this website.
UPDATED ON JUNE 1, 2020 AT 1:00 P.M.
PLANNED DEMONSTRATION TODAY AT 4:00 P.M.
The Riverside Police Department has learned over the past few days of a planned demonstration scheduled to take place today at 4:00 p.m., in front of the City of Riverside’s main library in the downtown area. We have safety plans in place to allow for the peaceful expression of our community members’ First Amendment rights regarding the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Unless you are attending this peaceful event, we ask that you avoid the area as it occurs.
The City of Riverside has declared a local state of emergency and established a citywide curfew, which the start time has now been superseded by the enacted curfew by the County of Riverside to begin at 6:00 p.m. tonight until 6:00 a.m. tomorrow morning. The declaration and emergency curfew orders can be viewed at www.RiversideCA.gov/Curfew. Please follow all City of Riverside, Riverside Police, Riverside Fire, and Office of Emergency Management social media for updates throughout this state of emergency.
The City of Riverside has launched a mass notification service that allows us to alert you in the case of an emergency. To sign up, visit www.RiversideAlert.com.
EMERGENCY CURFEW ENACTED IN CITY OF RIVERSIDE
Riverside, CA – Due to civil unrest arising out of the protests over the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis, Minnesota, the City of Riverside has declared a local emergency exists throughout the entire city. As such, a curfew has been implemented within the city limits beginning tonight at (UPDATED TO 6:00 P.M.) 7:00 p.m. on Monday, June 1, 2020, until 6:00 a.m. on Tuesday, June 2, 2020.
Riverside Police Chief Larry Gonzalez has requested this curfew to help maintain the peace and safety of all residents, business owners, and visitors of Riverside. “Although we are expecting a peaceful and safe demonstration that will allow our community members to express their First Amendment rights, we will effectively address any attempts to disrupt those engaging in peaceful protest,” stated Chief Gonzalez. “Riverside is a city of unity and inclusivity, and we know our residents and businesses do not invite the criminal behaviors we’ve witnessed elsewhere.”
During the curfew, no person will be allowed in any public place with the exception of:
- Police, Fire, or Emergency Operations personnel
- Members of the National Guard or other responding military personnel
- People travelling to and from work
- Authorized members of the media
- Individuals seeking or providing emergency medical care
- Essential workers
- Individuals experiencing homelessness
The curfew is not expected to last beyond this 11-hour period, but can be extended at the request of Chief Gonzalez, if necessary.
The declaration of this local emergency recognizes the fact that, while a majority of protesters have acted lawfully, there has been a significant amount of criminal behaviors, including acts of violence against first responders and peaceful protesters, vandalism of public and private property, looting of businesses, and failure to follow lawful dispersal orders in communities across the country and throughout Southern California.
The Riverside Police Department will not only provide the reactive services necessary to ensure public safety, but also commits to providing the proactive services that will ensure the unity within our neighborhoods.
