Late Saturday, Miami Beach police fired pepper balls at party-goers and arrested at least 12 people. The city took extraordinary steps to crack down on spring break, which officials say got out of control.

Miami Beach Mayor Dan Gelber declared a state of emergency and imposed an 8 p.m. curfew, saying the recent influx of people into the city was "more than we can handle." Just hours later, the government took aggressive enforcement action.

Gelber told CNN's Anna Cabrera: "Really, there are so many people who come and have no intention of following the rules, and as a result, there's a level of chaos and disorder that we can't stand."

Hundreds of people, mostly not wearing masks, remained in the streets after the 8pm curfew on Saturday night.

As the sirens blared, police fired pepper balls - a chemical irritant similar to paint balls - at the crowd, causing people to flee.

Police in Miami Beach said earlier Sunday that they had arrested at least 12 people after the curfew began.

"Police began to disperse the crowd at 8 p.m. and eventually reached a satisfactory level of compliance," police spokesman Ernesto Rodriguez told CNN.

More than 50 people have been arrested and eight firearms confiscated since Friday, according to a tweet from the Miami Beach Police Department on Sunday.

The 8 p.m. curfew and road closures in the city's entertainment districts will continue through Tuesday, Gelber said at a news conference on Saturday. Local traffic was closed for the next few nights, Gelber said.

Extended curfew

On Sunday, the Miami Beach City Council announced that the curfew would go into effect at 8 p.m. Thursday and continue through Sunday, at least until March 30.

City manager Raul Aguilar will have the option of a two-week extension until April 13, the committee said.

"Our goal is to really control the large tourist population and the potential for violent destruction and property damage, whether intentional or not," Aguilar said.

"Unfortunately, that's the last thing I want to do. But this spring break is different. Not all people who come to Miami Beach are bad people, and they come to Miami Beach to break the law and destroy our quality of life. But This is a different situation and drastic measures are required."

After a year of coronavirus lockdowns and restrictions across the country, Florida has opened its doors to tourists. Gov. Ron DeSantis has boasted that California is an "oasis of freedom" during the pandemic, with rabid people flocking to the state's unrestricted beaches and nightlife.

Gelber told CNN that the biggest problem with the crowd is at night.

"It felt like a rock concert with people going from block to block," Gelber said.

He said people fired into the air on Friday night, sparking unrest.

"Other things that happened were just as challenging, so it was like a tinder and it felt like any match could possibly light it," he said.

The situation is getting worse by the day, and the pandemic has "made it more challenging," Gelber said.

Hotels focus on safety

Miami Beach nightlife is never for the faint of heart, but local officials and residents have noticed that this spring's revellers have been especially combative as the pandemic continues.

Cleveland's South Beach, one of Miami Beach's most iconic hotels, announced on Friday that it would temporarily suspend its food and beverage operations due to concerns about the safety of employees and customers.

"We have recently become increasingly concerned about the safety of our dedicated employees and valued customers, as well as the city's ability to maintain a safe environment in the surrounding area," the hotel said in a message on its website and social media.

"As a result, we have made the difficult decision to temporarily close our food and beverage operations," hotel management said in the message until at least March 24.

The Cleveland native said management "will reassess the situation in the coming days and decide whether to reopen or temporarily close." The hotel said employees will be "received full pay" while the restaurant and bar area is closed.

Infections continue, more than 1,000 arrested

More than 1,000 people have been arrested since Feb. 3 as spring break tourists descend on Miami Beach, Miami City Manager Aguilar said at an emergency committee meeting on Sunday. Of those arrested, more than 350 were arrested for felonies, he said.

Aguilar and Gelber said the spring break crowd was not typical, and they didn't believe the majority were students.

"These people come to the city...to throw lawless and do whatever they want," Aguilar said.

While the city has been dealing with large crowds, that changed when thousands gathered on Ocean Drive, Aquila said. He said there were no special events planned and no one was visiting the restaurant or other venues.

"It looked like a rock concert - you couldn't see the sidewalk, you couldn't see the grass - all you could see was a wall of people," he said.

Gelber said the city, with good weather and open businesses, is a destination for tourists, but it's still dealing with a pandemic. In Dade County, there are still 1,000 reported infections every day, with 50 to 100 hospitalized every day, Gelber said.

Throwing stones and bottles at police

Miami Beach Police Chief Clements said at Sunday's meeting that he sees the outbreak as a contributing factor because those locked up have fewer options for spring break and travel to Miami Beach.

He said 86 firearms had been seized since February 3.

"It's concerning," Clements said.

On several nights, large crowds turned into stampedes around the entertainment area, Clements said.

In one incident, he said, multiple vehicles were stopped and occupants partying in the street and throwing stones and bottles at officers who tried to get them out.

In another incident, shots were fired into the sky, causing 200 to 300 people to flee, he said.

Another stampede stemmed from a brawl in which people used glasses and chairs as weapons, Clements said.

"I'm really worried," the police chief said. "How long can you hold out for bad things to happen?"

"If you think there is any problem, please don't come."

Over the weekend, about 100 people were arrested and two officers were injured, police said. In addition, Rodriguez told CNN on Saturday that at least 24 people were arrested on Thursday and at least 12 on Friday.

Rodriguez said Miami-Dade police have been assisting MBPD since Tuesday because of the crowds.

Florida Highway Patrol is also assisting with traffic control on the MacArthur and Julia Tuttle Causeway, a bridge that connects the island city to the mainland, the MBPD tweeted on Friday.

Other agencies assisting with security efforts include the Coral Gables Police Department and the Miami-Dade Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, Rodriguez said.

Gelber told CNN: "If you're here because you're repressed, you want to be released, and you feel like nothing happened, then please don't come here. We've got extra police all over the place, we're going to arrest people, we're going to It's been done. We're going to maintain order."

"If you're here to be crazy, go somewhere else. We don't need you," Gelber said.