Mayor Stoney announces curfew for Richmond, calling violent protests ‘insult to the cause’

RICHMOND, Va. (WWBT) - Richmond Mayor Levar Stoney issued a curfew for the city of Richmond after calling the last two nights of unrest in Richmond an “insult to the cause” as protesters took to the streets to demand justice for George Floyd, a man killed by a police officer in Minnesota.

The mayor held a press conference Sunday morning accompanied by members of Richmond City Council and announced that Governor Northam had granted his request for a curfew to begin at 8 p.m. Sunday. The curfew will run until 6 a.m. nightly through Wednesday, June 3.

“What could have been peaceful protests, turned into violent destruction," said Mayor Stoney. “We are all disappointed, and we feel the pain that is being felt throughout this country for the last few nights."

George Floyd, a black man, died on May 25 in Minneapolis after a white police officer pressed a knee into his neck. It was the latest in a series of deaths of black men and women at the hands of police in America.

“As we stand here, the violence and destruction and images we’ve seen across this city is not the Richmond we know ... We saw local businesses, some black-owned businesses that have served Richmond for decades, vandalized and looted," said Stoney. “You are not inspiring change.”

The mayor also noted that the governor has indicated the Virginia National Guard is available to the city if required.

“Ladies and gentlemen, I think it’s time to say that ‘enough is enough.’ And this is enough; this must end," he said.

When the curfew is in place, people are instructed not to occupy public space within city limits. Stoney say it will be enforced. Further details will be finalized by the Office of the Governor as the authority imposing the order.

This is a developing story - stay with NBC12 for the latest updates.

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