FILE PHOTO: SLC Mayor Erin Mendenhall announced Wednesday she would be lifting her week-long curfew, nearly five days before its original end date. (Credit: Scott G Winterton, Deseret News)
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah — Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall announced Wednesday she would be ending her week-long nightly curfew — five days earlier than originally planned.
The curfew was issued Monday after protests over the weekend turned violent, causing Gov. Gary Herbert to declare a state of emergency. Mayor Mendenhall issued the citywide curfew to take place from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. every night for an entire week.
The curfew was scheduled to last until June 8 — but Mendenhall announced in a tweet she would be lifting it after “seeing the respect that protestors have largely shown for one another, police, and our city.”
After Saturday’s protest, the mayor issued an initial weekend curfew, lasting from 8 p.m. Saturday to 6 a.m. Monday. Hours after the initial curfew lifted, Mendenhall issued the second — lasting an entire week.
The curfews prohibited groups from gathering in public places or on the streets. However, the mayor said there were exceptions such as obtaining food, patronizing businesses, travelling to and from work, etc.
Groups responded with peaceful protests, filling the streets with “speak-outs” Monday evening — in the same streets protests turned violent just two days earlier.
“I want you to know that I see all of you out there doing your best not only to keep things peaceful, but also coming together across lines to communicate and connect,” Mendenhall said in a tweet. “I don’t want this simmer of frustration to disappear, but I want to work together to direct it toward positivity.”