Renton Renews Curfew Monday Night Amid City Hall Protest

RENTON, WA — The city of Renton issued a second curfew Monday night, joining several other King County cities that enacted or extended similar emergency orders. The latest curfew was ratified by the Renton City Council and will remain in effect from 8 p.m. Monday to 5 a.m Tuesday, according to a city news release. Walmart and Target closed earlier in the day, and officers were posted at both stores, police said.

Monday's emergency order, signed by Mayor Armondo Pavone, cited "extraordinary measures" needed to protect public health, safety and property from "ongoing and/or anticipated looting and riots." Penalties for violating the curfew can include a warning, a $250 fine, or a jail sentence up to 90 days.

Exemptions from the order include:

• Law enforcement
• Military personnel
• Emergency personnel
• City and government staff
• "Critical infrastructure workers"
• People traveling through the city without stopping
• Members of the media

The city first issued a curfew late Sunday through 5 a.m. Monday, citing looting and property damage that followed peaceful protests against the killing of George Floyd, who died in Minneapolis May 25 after a police officer kneeled on his neck for more than eight minutes.

Meanwhile, a protest at Renton City Hall Monday afternoon appeared to be underway peacefully, with social media posts showing demonstrators chanting the names of black people killed by police across the U.S.

"We will have officers out in force to deter those with destructive intent and we will maintain this additional staffing as long as necessary," Renton police said on Facebook Monday.