Mayor Lifts Temporary Downtown Curfew
June 8, 2020 - San Antonio
Protesters take to the streets downtown displaying signs during the first “Black LIves Matter” protest on Saturday, May 30, 2020. Photo by: B. Kay Richter.
By B. Kay Richter - Writer, San Antonio Sentinel
After nearly a week of peaceful protests within the downtown business district, the San Antonio Police Department and city manager Erik Walsh recommended that the temporary curfew imposed by city officials be lifted.
Last Saturday (June 6), Mayor Ron Nirenberg signed the declaration which officially rescinded the curfew.
“While we can’t change decades of inequity or injustice in our community, we can work together to build a better city. To those who are demonstrating, know that we are listening,” City Manager Erik Walsh said in a press release.
San Antonio Police Chief William McManus was also encouraged by the cooperation of local activists and organizers from the continued protests.
“The event organizers met with me on several occasions in the past week. We agreed to work together to ensure the safety of demonstrators, police officers, civilians and their property,” said McManus in a prepared statement. "I hope this will be a strong foundation for an ongoing conversation about the relationship law enforcement agencies have with our community.”
Many of the signs displayed by local protesters reflected the messages centered around police brutality. Photo by: B. Kay Richter.
Antonio Lee is one of the founders of the organization Young Ambitious Activists. He said the goal of the protests was to have a safe and peaceful space to have local voices from the community heard by the public.
“Maintaining the peace is critical to making positive change in our community," Lee said in a press release. "We are looking forward to building a stronger and more transparent relationship with SAPD so that we can enact real change and make San Antonio a safer place.”
SAPD requests that demonstrators help maintain peaceful demonstrations by identifying instigators. If someone is engaging in criminal activity, such as throwing something or breaking a window, they should be reported to officers on the scene.
The city reminds participants to practice social distancing when possible as well as to wear a face covering. The City is also offering free parking in most of the City-owned lots, garages and meters on weeknights from 4 p.m. to 2 a.m. Parking is free all day Saturday and Sunday for the months of June till August.
B.Kay Richter is a San Antonio-based writer and photographer. Email her at bkay@sasentinel.com.