Mayor Cutter Issues Statement on George Floyd Protests & City Response to Civil Strife

Mayor Calls for Peace, Announces Nightly Curfew from June 1st to June 8th

SAN LEANDRO, CA – Mayor Pauline Russo Cutter issued today the following statement:

During our next City Council meeting, I will honor George Floyd by asking for a moment of silence in his name. His death will not be in vain and through our future actions, we can honor his life and those of other African Americans whose lives have been impacted by systemic racism in this country. We know many of you are tired of feeling like you’re not being heard and tired of having to fight for equal rights especially in the African American community. As your Mayor, and along with my colleagues on the City Council, we hear you, and we are committed to the pursuit of meaningful changes that will benefit all San Leandrans.

Since the announcement of Mr. Floyd’s death, we have been struggling with this senseless loss of life. I am hurting and I know our community is as well, particularly when coupled with the ongoing pandemic and other recent events in our community. Due to civil unrest that has occurred in San Leandro and across the East Bay region, the City has declared a local State of Emergency and has mobilized all our resources to help address this unprecedented situation. Additional law enforcement personnel have been activated and they are maintaining ongoing patrols throughout the City. We have also reached out to our partners at the regional, state and federal level to seek assistance.

Here in San Leandro, we have also instituted a mandatory nightly curfew that currently remains in effect from now until June 8th. It’s possible that timeline could be adjusted based on conditions on the ground. The curfew will be in effect each evening from 6:00 pm. through 5:00 a.m. the following morning. All residents are directed to stay home during those hours except for the following: emergency responders and health care providers, those seeking urgent medical care, those traveling to and from work, the unsheltered, or members of the news media.

As the Mayor of this great city, I agree that protests can be a catalyst to bring positive change to the systemic racism that so many people face daily in this country. Yet protests are very different from the civil strife and ongoing looting that is causing a huge strain on our community and our local businesses that were already struggling in response to the pandemic. That’s why I denounce the looting and rioting that has been taking place not only in our city, but in communities across the country. We cannot allow the lawlessness of a few overshadow the voice of those seeking change. I applaud Police Chief Tudor for communicating his voice of support for peaceful protests. I implore you to please stay home and stay safe tonight. Let’s work together to heal our city and move forward together in a positive way. In the next few weeks you will be hearing from me on tangible steps I will be leading to move us forward in our shared journey for social change.