Four-Day Detroit Curfew Struck Down, But River Days Policy Requires Those Under 18 To Be Chaperoned

DETROIT (WWJ) - The Detroit City Council struck down a proposed four-day curfew for young people during this weekend's River Days Festival.

As many headlines as that controversy drew, it turns out the lack of a curfew every night might not be that meaningful thanks to an admission policy at the riverfront gathering.

Anyone under the age of 18 has to be with a parent, or guardian or adult over the age of 30.

The measure doesn't sit well with the former head of the NAACP Dr. Ben Chavis, who is in town for a convention.

"A basic fundamental human right and civil right is the right to assemble, the right to have freedom of movement, and not to be pre-judged as a preventative measure," Chavis told WWJ's Vickie Thomas.

"In other words, if you think that there may be a disturbance, than you try to prevent the disturbance. But when you tell people that they can't come out at a certain hour or they can't go to a certain place without a curfew, then that in itself is a disturbance."

On the other side, Detroit Riverfront Conservancy President and CEO Mark Wallace said the event is about bringing Detroit families down to enjoy a safe and stress-free great time.

"It's definitely a family-friendly event in Detroit, we're really excited about the line-up this year, it's really focused on Detroit families ... We do a lot to really welcome families down," Wallace said.

On Tuesday, council members voted against an emergency ordinance that would've required anyone age 17 and under to be accompanied by a parent or guardian from this Friday night through the annual fireworks show on Monday night. The extended curfew would have been in effect from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. for River Days, Friday through Sunday, June 19-21; and for the Freedom Festival fireworks over the Detroit river, Monday, June 22, from 6 p.m. until 6 a.m.

Instead, council members said they would allow the curfew on Monday only, as in years past. If youth are caught unsupervised Monday night, they could be detained and their parents fined upwards of $500.

The possibility of extending the curfew drew opposition from many who said it unfairly criminalizes youth and essentially places them under house arrest. Police maintained that they were pushing for the extended curfew out of safety reasons.

Some said there are fears that with the strict admission policy at the event, young people would be in the area, but not able to get in. And that could cause restless crimes.

Activist Ron Scott objects to the policy, writing in an email that it "reflects structural racism, and is comparable to what happened in South Africa during the days of apartheid."

Noting that other big events like PrideFest and Movement, which each brought thousands of young people to downtown Detroit, Scott added:

"Ultimately, this appears to be what corporate entities, who did not publicly weigh in on this issue, wanted: keep young black folks out of Downtown Detroit."

Wallace said the event expects about 150,000 visitors.

A $3 admission fee gets anyone into the festival before 5 p.m. -- and $5 gets you in after 5 p.m.