PROVIDENCE – Gov. Gina M. Raimondo on Tuesday activated the Rhode Island National Guard and local mayors announced curfews in anticipation of another night of possible rioting.
Providence Mayor Jorge O. Elorza implemented a citywide curfew effective tonight, from 9:00 p.m.-6 p.m., until June 9th.
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Cranston officials said the city will impose an 8 p.m. curfew until 5 a.m. Wednesday. Garden City Center announced via Facebook that all stores and restaurants were closing at 4 p.m. due to the potential threat of violence from additional rioting, which began in Providence late Monday night.
Warwick officials also announced a curfew from 8:00 p.m. this evening to 5:00 a.m. on Wednesday.
Raimondo said she is ready to deploy “hundreds” of National Guard members in order to protect the Ocean State.
When asked by a reporter if she regretted not deploying the National Guard sooner, Raimondo said no, adding the state was already prepared on Monday for protests and possible rioting with the R.I. State Police, Providence Police and law enforcement from neighboring Massachusetts assisting.
“They were able to contain what could have been an utter catastrophe,” Raimondo said. “You would have seen a much-worse situation. They came here to blow up the Providence Place mall. They came here to torch the Statehouse. … and [those things] didn’t happen because we were prepared.”
Raimondo also said the state is still investigating who the group of rioters were and what their motivations were.
She added the state will increase its security presence in response to concerns related to a “big demonstration” planned on June 5, but she didn’t provide details.
Elorza at a press conference reiterated earlier comments distinguishing those responsible for Monday night’s violence from peaceful demonstrators protesting the death of George Floyd.
“Their intentions were from the very beginning to make trouble,” Elorza said. “We cannot have what happened last night happen again.”
Still, Elorza lauded first responders, including police officers and community members, for preventing what could have been far more extensive damage to the community and businesses.
“Our police department, they were professionals as they were getting pelted with bricks, bottles and insults,” he said.
First responders, essential workers, the homeless, news media and those seeking medical care are exempt from the curfew. While the executive order gives legal authority to impose fines and other penalties for those who violate it, that is not planned unless absolutely necessary, according to Public Safety Commissioner Steven Pare.
The ACLU of Rhode Island and Common Cause Rhode Island on Tuesday both opposed the curfews, specifically citing potential problems with the state’s presidential primary, slated for the same day.
Although the primary was primarily conducted via advanced, mail-in ballots, limited polling places were open Tuesday until 8 p.m. – the same time curfews in Cranston and Warwick begin. Post-voting transport of ballots to the R.I. Board of Elections site in Cranston could also be problematic, they said.
“The image of a vehicle delivering election ballots being stopped and detained late at night by any police department is not a comforting one to contemplate,” the ACLU said in a statement.
The two groups are urging Cranston Mayor Allan Fung to delay the city curfew start time so as not to interfere with voting or ballot processing, or, alternatively, to specifically exempt voters and election workers from the curfew.
The ACLU also cited inconsistencies across the three city policies, which exempt different classes of workers, among other differences.
(ADDS last five paragraphs with opposition to curfews.)
