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Miami Beach declares a state of emergency and curfew as spring break crowds spark safety concerns
Miami Beach Police fired pepper balls into crowds of partiers and arrested at least a dozen people as the city took extraordinary measures to crack down on spring breakers who officials have said are out of control.
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Miami Beach Police fired pepper balls into crowds of partiers and arrested at least a dozen people as the city took extraordinary measures to crack down on spring breakers who officials have said are out of control.
Miami Beach Mayor Dan Gelber declared a state of emergency and set an 8 p.m. curfew Saturday, saying the crowds that have descended on the city recently are "more than we can handle."
"Too many are coming, really, without the intention of following the rules, and the result has been a level of chaos and disorder that is just something more than we can endure," Gelber told CNN's Ana Cabrera.
Police in Miami Beach said early Sunday that they arrested "at least a dozen" people following the start of the curfew.
"Officers began dispersing crowds at 8 p.m. and ultimately achieved a satisfactory level of compliance," police spokesperson Ernesto Rodriguez told CNN.
The 8 p.m. curfew and road closures in the city's entertainment district will be in effect for the next 72 hours, Gelber said at a news conference Saturday. The causeways to Miami Beach from the mainland will be closed to non-local traffic starting at 9 p.m. for the next few nights, Gelber said.
Miami Beach Police Department officers enforce an 8 p.m. curfew during spring break in Miami Beach, Florida, on March 20, 2021.
At night, "it feels like a rock concert, wall-to-wall people over blocks and blocks," Gelber told Cabrera.
On Friday night, someone shot a weapon into the air, and there was a riot, he said.
"Other things have happened that are similarly challenging, and so it feels like a tinder, it feels like just any match could set it off," the mayor said.
The situation has worsened with each day, Gelber said, and the pandemic "makes things even more challenging."
The attempted crackdown comes as Florida has thrown open its doors to tourists after a year of coronavirus lockdowns and restrictions around the country. Gov. Ron DeSantis has bragged that the state is an "oasis of freedom" during the pandemic -- and the stir-crazy are flocking to the state's restriction-free beaches and nightlife.