George Floyd

57 Arrested After Police and Protestors Face-Off in Downtown Miami

Protestors began marching near the Torch of Friendship earlier in the day before making their way onto a busy I-95

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What to Know

  • Miami-Dade County had a 10 p.m. curfew Saturday night, and an 8 p.m. curfew is in place for Sunday
  • Protesters marched from Downtown Miami down I-95, shutting down traffic on the expressway in both directions
  • City of Miami Police fired tear gas and pepper spray into crowds, and a total of 57 people were arrested

Law enforcement faced-off with protestors in Downtown Miami Saturday night after groups marched throughout the city to express their anger over the killing of George Floyd, who died last week in Minneapolis after a police officer knelt on his neck for nearly nine minutes.

Protestors began marching near the Torch of Friendship earlier in the day before making their way onto a busy I-95, shutting down the expressway in both directions. The Rickenbacker Causeway was shut down as well by city officials as a precaution due to the protests.

Tensions escalated when police began firing tear gas and pepper spray at a crowd outside the City of Miami Police Department. As evening rolled in, protestors were then seen throwing objects at police and setting cars on fire.

Jawan Strader and Alina Machado have more as protesters took to the streets starting in the afternoon in protest after the Minnesota death of George Floyd.

Miami-Dade Police confirmed that 57 arrests had been made as a result of the protest by the end of the night. They said the most common charge was curfew violation.

City of Miami Mayor Francis Suarez said the tear gas was fired after officers witnessed two vehicles being looted and vandalized by protestors. He said that other than the gas, there was no clash between protestors and police.

"We wanted to give the protestors the opportunity to express themselves peacefully. We understood there was a tremendous amount of anger - justifiably so - over the despicable act that occurred with George Floyd," Suarez said. "And, by and large, that's what they did."

Miami-Dade County Mayor Carlos Gimenez issued a countywide curfew of 10 p.m. later in the night. The City of Miami then issued a dispersal order for protestors in the Downtown Miami area.

Miami-Dade also suspended its transit services, which includes the Metrorail, Metromover and Metrobus for the remainder of the weekend.

Hallandale Beach later issued a curfew of 11 p.m. Miami will have its own 8 p.m. curfew for Sunday. Any person defying the curfew will be arrested, according to city officials.

On Sunday, two more protests are scheduled to take place. In Lauderhill, Black Lives Matter Alliance Broward, Broward DSA and Broward Dream Defenders are organizing at 3 p.m.

In northwest Miami, THEE Miami Dream Defenders have a protest scheduled for the same time.

https://twitter.com/MiamiSquaDD/status/1266590965852188673

This is a developing story. Stay tuned to NBC 6 on air and online for updates.

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