Seattle Curfews Canceled After Mayor Meets With Community Leaders

SEATTLE, WA — Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan announced an end to nightly curfews Wednesday after speaking with community members and Seattle Police Chief Carmen Best.

Citywide curfews have been in place since Saturday night and, on Tuesday, were extended nightly, from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m., through Saturday morning. Thousands of Seattleites had already received phone alerts Wednesday, before the curfew was canceled.

Durkan and Best spent much of the day hearing feedback and facing intense questioning over the law enforcement response to ongoing protests in the city. Best fielded direct questions from several city councilmembers, including some asking why a curfew order was deemed necessary.

The mayor later met in-person with organizers and community leaders at City Hall, some of whom provided a list of demands for criminal justice reform. Durkan said one community request concerned the curfews, which she agreed to after consulting with the police chief.

The Seattle Community Police Commission, city council members, and protesters have repeatedly called on the mayor and police chief to end the use of tear gas, flashbang devices, and blast balls as crowd control devices. Neither has budged on the demand.

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