After two shootings in Miami Beach, Florida, over the weekend, the City of Miami Beach commission voted unanimously to declare a state of emergency and institute a curfew from ​​midnight to 6 a.m, Thursday to Monday.  However, some are saying the restriction is an example of racist enforcement.

According to the Miami Herald, Stephen Hunter Johnson, a member of Miami-Dade’s Black Advisory Board, said, “The only emergency is that Black people are on the Beach. I don’t understand how this town has been doing spring break for at least 25 years and can’t figure it out.”

Michael Grieco, a state lawmaker and former Miami Beach commissioner, also added, “The state of emergency is an abuse of governmental power, and it scares the crap out of me.”

During a Monday (March 21) press conference Mayor Dan Gelber said, “Over the last two nights, five innocent people were shot in our streets.” He continued, “If you want to see what a very frustrated and angry mayor is, you’re looking at it.”

Miami Beach Police Chief Richard Clements said nine officers were injured last weekend and added,  "We saw what the effects were with someone who walked into the crowd with a firearm and randomly shot at people. We are so lucky there wasn't a more significant loss of life associated with these events because they were random. The people that were injured as a result of this had nothing to do with any kind of confrontation at all but basically were in the wrong place at the wrong time."

In Miami Beach, Spring Break season typically lasts from February until early April.