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As a subscriber you can listen to articles at work, in the car, or while you work out. Subscribe NowIndianapolis will drop until Friday the overnight curfew that was imposed after a weekend of violence following protests over the death of George Floyd and police treatment of African Americans, the mayor’s office said Wednesday.
The city won’t continue the curfew for Wednesday and Thursday nights after ordering people off the streets for three straight nights.
“For the safety of what we believe will be much larger demonstrations this weekend, and given the violence and property damage we experienced this past weekend, we intend to reinstate the curfew order for Friday and Saturday,” Mayor Joe Hogsett said in a statement. “I do not make this decision lightly, but it is my belief it will better allow our city to preserve this promising peace.”
Hogsett first ordered a citywide curfew for Sunday night after two nights of clashes during which police fired tear gas trying to disperse crowds as some people broke windows on dozens of office buildings, restaurants and storefronts.
Two people were fatally shot during the downtown violence, including former Indiana University football player Chris Beaty.
Streets have been generally calm during and after protests held since Sunday in Indianapolis.
Many Indianapolis protesters have also decried the death of 21-year-old Dreasjon “Sean” Reed, a black man who was shot by a city police officer. Reed’s mother called Wednesday for an independent investigation of the shooting.
Many U.S. cities have seen a week of protest and unrest since Floyd died May 25 after a white Minneapolis officer pressed his knee into his neck for several minutes even after the handcuffed black man stopped moving and pleading for air.
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