Police fire pepper bombs to disperse crowds in Miami Beach on first night of curfew

From 8 p.m. local time on March 20, Miami Beach, Florida, USA began to implement a curfew from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. Pedestrians and vehicles were not allowed to enter the restricted area during this period, and all nearby commercial facilities must be closed. However, a large number of tourists still gathered on the streets that night, and the police had to use force to disperse them.

On the evening of the 20th, thousands of people ignored the curfew and gathered on the streets of Miami Beach, not only not wearing masks, but also maintaining social distance. Around 9 p.m., the police fired pepper bombs to disperse the crowd, and the scene was very chaotic. "Frankly, my concern is that these actions are increasingly out of our control," said Miami Beach Police Chief Clements.

In the past two months, the streets of Miami Beach have been crowded with tourists gathered for spring break. In order to prevent the epidemic from getting out of control, the local government announced a curfew from 8 p.m. on the 20th and a "state of emergency". It's unclear how long the curfew will last, with local interim mayor Aguilar suggesting it will remain in place until at least April 12.

Tourism is the backbone of Florida's economy, generating more than $91 billion in revenue in 2018. After the outbreak of the new crown pneumonia in the spring of 2020, local government officials and various enterprises have been finding a balance between fighting the epidemic and developing the economy.