As civil unrest sparked by the in-custody death of George Floyd continues around the county, curfew orders have been extended for a third night in a row in the cities of Santee and La Mesa.
The extension goes into effect at 7 p.m. Tuesday in both cities, and continues until 5:30 a.m. in La Mesa and 6 a.m. in Santee. La Mesa was hit particularly hard Saturday night during a protest against police brutality when groups of people set buildings on fire and looted stores.
Floyd was a black man who died after being pinned down by a white police officer May 25 in Minneapolis. His death has spurred protestors to march by the thousands throughout San Diego County and the nation. Following several nights of anger boiling over into violence, several citywide curfew orders were put in place in an effort to restore order.
A city official for La Mesa said the curfew order was extended another night due to conditions of extreme peril to the safety of persons and property within the the city as a result of rioting and looting related to Saturday’s protest. Under the curfew order, La Mesa residents are encouraged to shelter in place for their own safety during the curfew hours.
Under the curfew order imposed in Santee, residents are not allowed on public streets and sidewalks or public spaces during the curfew. That includes walking, biking and other forms of transportation such as driving cars and taking public transit. According to the city website, “All law enforcement, fire, medical personnel, and members of the news media are exempt from the curfew, as are individuals traveling directly to and from work, seeking emergency care, fleeing dangerous circumstances, or experiencing homelessness.”
Santee Mayor John Minto asked residents to pull together to condemn racism and hatred.
“Bad things do happen in our community, like all communities. But as a City as a whole, that is not who we are,” Minto said in a statement Tuesday. “We need the Santee community to come together and make it known that we are not divided. We need our voices to be louder than those who are perpetuating the negative stereotypes and the few who are committing these crimes or acts of hatred.”
— Staff report
