After TSA recorded a large number of air travelers going on Spring Break, Miami Beach police dispersed crowds of party-goers using pepper balls late Saturday. Miami Beach Major Dan Gelber declared a state of emergency at around 8 pm as spring breakers overwhelmed Miami Beach. The mayor set an 8 pm curfew to control the crowd.
Gelber described it as something “more than we can handle”. He said that “too many are coming” and “without the intention of following the rules”. Most of the spring breakers dispersed were maskless with disregard to social distancing.
The police arrested at least a dozen people after enforcing the curfew. However, more than 50 people have already been arrested since Friday. Eight of those were even carrying firearms. Police spokesperson Ernesto Rodriguez said that “officers began dispersing crowds at 8 pm”.
The curfew will be in effect until at least March 30. Miami Beach City Commission mentioned that city manager Raul Aguila will have the option to extend through April 13. Aguila said that “the goal here is to contain the overwhelming crowd of visitors”. He also said that the curfew was “the last thing” that he wanted to do. He described 2021’s spring break as a “spring break like no other”.
Governor Ron DeSantis called Florida an “oasis of freedom” during pandemic times. Many are going to the state for its restriction-free beaches and nightlife. Mayor Gelber, compared the number of people to a rock concert describing it as “wall-to-wall people over blocks and blocks”.
Local officials and residents reported incidents wherein travelers are aggressive and chaotic. The Clevelander South Beach, one of the popular hotels in the area, stopped serving food and beverage because of safety concerns for its patrons and employees.
According to its website, “we have grown increasingly concerned with the safety of our dedicated employees and valued customers”. Hotel management added that “we have made a difficult decision to temporarily close the food and beverage operations”.
Since February 3, Miami Beach police increased their staff to accommodate events like spring break. From February 3 to today, the police already made more than 1,000 arrests. Of those arrests, more than 350 were felony cases.
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