At 8:28 p.m. on Monday, our phones buzzed. It was an alert warning us that a curfew in New York City would go into effect at 11 o’clock.  Governor Andrew Cuomo and New York Mayor Bill de Blasio declared the curfew after five days of protests were hijacked on Sunday by looters, vandals and people attacking the police.

If we weren’t older and worried about contracting the coronavirus, we would have been out there with the peaceful protestors calling for fair treatment by the police and in life for black and brown people. The death of George Floyd in Minneapolis, by a police officer pressing the life out of him with his knee for almost nine minutes while other officers stood by, brought people in cities throughout the country to the streets.

In New York, some police officers caught on video crossed the line, shoving protestors to the ground, driving into a crowd, and waving a gun. We hope they are prosecuted.

But on Sunday and Monday night things in New York got uglier. Thugs smashed windows and looters stole from local businesses and international brands. These opportunists, who cared nothing for George Floyd, hijacked protests that demanded the justice he deserved.

For three nights we fell asleep to the sound of helicopters. The helicopters woke us again at 4 o’clock on Monday morning, and that was because of the looting.  Announcing the curfew, the governor distinguished between the support for protestors and people who clearly have jumped in to steal or simply cause violence.

“I stand behind the protestors and their message, but unfortunately there are people who are looking to distract and discredit this moment,” Governor Cuomo said. “The violence and the looting has been bad for the city, the state and this entire national movement, undermining and distracting from this righteous cause. While we encourage people to protest peacefully and make their voices heard, the safety of the general public is paramount and cannot be compromised. Tonight the mayor and I are implementing a citywide curfew, starting at 11 p.m., and doubling the NYPD presence across the city.”

We support the protestors calling for change. We abhor the violence by the police and the people who are taking advantage of a tense situation.