Mayor: NYC takes ‘step forward’ in restoring order

NEW YORK — The protests haven’t stopped, but New York City officials were hopeful that an earlier curfew and refinements to police tactics are helping restore order after days of unrest over the death of George Floyd.

“Last night we took a step forward in moving out of this difficult period we’ve had the last few days and moving to a better time,“Mayor Bill de Blasio said.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who was critical of the police response on prior nights, said the city was “much better” Tuesday and that officers were better equipped to keep the peace.

“Last night was a much, much better than the night before. So it worked. We got results. Let’s just remember what we did last night and keep that going.” Cuomo said.

De Blasio rejected urging from President Donald Trump and an offer from Cuomo to bring in the National Guard to quell the unrest, saying he thought the NYPD was best suited for the task and fearing confrontations spurred by out-of-town Guardsmen unfamiliar with the city’s dynamics.

The citywide curfew, barring people from the streets and nonessential vehicles from part of Manhattan from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m., was imposed to prevent the nighttime chaos that followed peaceful protests for several days in a row.

Vandalism and pilfering didn’t stop completely Tuesday night. Some shops had windows smashed and merchandise taken. But it was a contrast from the previous two days, when several Manhattan shopping districts and one in the Bronx were overrun with people — some armed with crowbars and clubs — who ransacked numerous shops and set fires.

Moving the curfew earlier from 11 p.m., where it had been Monday night, as well as blocking vehicles from entering Manhattan, allowed police to take control of city streets and remove troublemakers, Chief of Department Terence Monahan said.

It didn’t stop demonstrations over police mistreatment of black Americans. Marches continued into the evening, though police stopped one large group from coming over the Brooklyn Bridge into Manhattan after the curfew.

The nightly curfews will remain in effect through Sunday, with the city planning to lift it at the same time it enters the first phase of reopening after more than two months of shutdowns because of the coronavirus.

“I’d like us never to have to use it again, if we do things right,” de Blasio said.