DETROIT (WXYZ) — Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan and Police Chief James Craig held a news conference regarding protests in the city of Detroit.
As a result of days of peaceful protesting following the death of George Floyd, the mayor announced that the 8 p.m. curfew would be lifted moving forward.
During the press conference, Mayor Duggan praised the peaceful protesters and the response from the Detroit Police Department. He mentioned that there were a couple of frightening evenings in Detroit at the beginning of the protests, but thanked the people Detroit for intervening to stop would-be looters and for officers who worked to keep the peace. Detroit will "remain vigilant," the mayor said. While in the beginning days of protest there were incidents of criminal behavior, there were peaceful and productive protests in the days following. The mayor said that peaceful demonstrations put Detroit on the national stage drawing attention to our success and not our problems. Many cities across the country experienced major incidents of violence, rioting, and looting - while Detroit remained mostly peaceful.
Officials and protest leaders will meet on Tuesday to discuss steps moving forward.
Chief James Craig also weighed in praising law enforcement and peaceful protests. "I am humbled and proud," Chief Craig said. According to the chief, throughout the 10 days of protest, there have been 421 arrests. Of those arrests, 136 were Detroit residents.
The Board of Police Commissioners also encouraged people to come forward with concerns or reports of any troubling incidents with law enforcement. "We take all allegations of excessive force very seriously," said Chief Craig. You can make a report or complaint by visiting the city's website.
There have been no arrests made in the protests over the past few days, as police have decided not to enforce the curfew.
In addition to addressing protests, Mayor Duggan expressed optimism on the rates of COVID-19 dropping significantly. He thanked citizens for their attention to social distancing and safety guidelines. He mentioned that parks would start putting basketball hoops back up, but asked players to stay in small groups.
