MIAMI BEACH, Fla. – Protesters took to the streets Saturday afternoon, saying enough is enough.
They are upset about what has led Miami Beach officials to enforcing a curfew and closing roads, and that’s violent, lawbreaking spring break crowds that have moved through the streets recent weeks.
There were over 100 people outside of Miami Beach City Hall for what they were calling the ‘Take Back the City Protest.’
The attendees were frustrated Miami Beach residents dealing with yet another year of spring break chaos.
“I’ve been screaming about this for a long time,” said South Florida political activist Kristen Rosen Gonzalez.
Spring break in Miami Beach has made headlines all over the world because of the chaos and crime this year.
“When we get this horrible PR it affects everyone, because people are afraid to come here,” said Rosen Gonzalez. “We welcome everyone to Miami Beach, but we want people to stop trashing our city.”
Residents expressed their frustrations on Saturday, feeling the city should have been more prepared.
As week two of the 8 p.m. curfew gets underway, workers could be seen clearing out Ocean Drive, closing outdoor cafés and restaurants.
“I think that this particular area needs to be really battened down at night and we’re going to continue to do that until it’s pretty clear we don’t have to,” said Miami Beach Mayor Dan Gelber.
Despite the measures, residents still want to know what plan the mayor has for the future.
“Are we going to take the strong steps we need to take to shut the party down,” asked Rosen Gonzalez.
Miami Beach police were standing by during the peaceful protest to ensure everything remained safe.
“What we want the city to do is treat this as a public safety issue, people have a good time and are safe,” said Miami Beach resident David McKinney.