Danville Businesses, Police Remain Vigilant After Quiet Night

DANVILLE, CA — Downtown Danville businesses were safe as of Tuesday morning, after police warned residents Monday of social media posts calling for looting in the area.

There were no overnight incidents, said town spokesperson Geoff Gillette in an email. Danville police increased staffing and closed roads to enforce the townwide curfew from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. overnight, through Thursday morning.

As police warned Danville residents about the threats on Monday and asked people to stay alert, businesses hurriedly worked to board up their windows.

SEE: Downtown Danville Braces For Potential Looting

A protest planned Tuesday afternoon in downtown Danville has been canceled, police said. The organizers told police they received threats on Twitter from violent groups who planned on attending and wanted to postpone the event until it was safe to do so.

Police remain prepared to respond and have increased staffing Tuesday, as officials don't know whether the cancellation of the protest will prevent people from gathering downtown, Gillette said.

"We continue to maintain readiness and will monitor for any protest activity," he wrote.

Looting in Walnut Creek cities throughout the United States followed protests condemning police brutality against people of color, though many protest organizers have condemned the vandalism. The demonstrations were spurred by the killing of George Floyd, a black man, by a Minneapolis police officer.

A white officer knelt on Floyd's neck, pinning him down after arresting him following a call reporting suspected forgery at a store. Floyd said he could not breathe and had no pulse when he was taken into an ambulance. The four Minneapolis police department officers at the scene were fired.