COLUMBUS — Columbus mayor Andrew Ginther Saturday rescinded his order for a continuing nighttime curfew during ongoing protests, saying he was pleased with what he called better communication and greater collaboration between police and protesters in recent days.
“In recent days we became increasingly hopeful that the curfew could be lifted, and clearly the time is now right. I encourage people to continue to lift up their voices in peaceful protest, and we will remain laser focused on implementing meaningful and lasting change to fight racism and discrimination.” -Mayor Andrew Ginther
Ginther says his decision came after consulting with City Attorney Zach Klein a day after a federal lawsuit was filed that challenged the order because acts of vandalism have largely dissipated.
Under an agreement reached between the city and the plaintiffs, the lawsuit will be dismissed.
The 10:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. curfew has been in place since May 30 after vandalism and thefts from multiple businesses.
Protests against police brutality in Columbus Saturday were peaceful.
Tens of thousands of people, if not more, marched across the nation Saturday with few reports of problems in scenes that were more often festive than tense.
But by evening, Seattle police used pepper spray to disperse a crowd hurling objects.
The largest U.S. demonstration appeared to be in Washington, where protesters flooded streets from the Capitol to the White House.
It came as mourners in North Carolina waited to glimpse the golden coffin carrying George Floyd’s body.