Mercer Island officials announced this afternoon (June 2) that the city-wide curfew imposed yesterday (June 1) has been extended.

Mayor Benson Wong and City Manager Jessi Bon confirmed that the new curfew would be in place from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. starting tonight. It will continue to be upheld each day this week until the morning of Friday, June 5.

The extended curfew, like its predecessor, applies to everyone on Mercer Island. Law enforcement, emergency and government personnel and people traveling to and from their jobs are exempt.

The decision comes in the wake of regional and national police-brutality protests spurred by the police killing of George Floyd and other Black Americans. Other Eastside cities, including Bellevue and Redmond, have enforced similar curfews.

Police Chief Ed Holmes stated in a Mercer Island press release that while the city understands that the longer curfew will be an inconvenience for many residents, information from police detectives about future unrest in the area is a cause of concern.

“[I] am recommending these actions to help us protect the Mercer Island community,” Holmes said in the release.

The city will reevaluate with regional partners on Friday morning, according to the release.

“I believe extending the curfew is a prudent measure given the random criminal acts we’ve seen occurring in neighboring communities,” Holmes said in the release. “We are announcing it as early as possible [June 2] in order to allow sufficient planning time for residents and business owners.”

The curfew and protests will be discussed at tonight’s remote city council meeting, which is set for 6:30 p.m. Residents can watch on the city council’s YouTube channel.

For the city’s full release, go to the city of Mercer Island’s website.