DC curfew ends as teen takeover fears clock in – city braces for chaos amid spring break mayhem
A citywide curfew implemented in response to several violent teen "takeovers" is set to expire in Washington, D.C. today, setting the stage for another round of unsanctioned events to bring chaos to the city’s streets as schools are released for spring break.
Emergency legislation enacted by members of the city council previously allowed the chief of police to enact separate juvenile curfew zones that banned anyone under the age of 18 from gathering in high-volume areas between the hours of 8 p.m. and 6 a.m., according to the Metropolitan Police Department.
However, the Juvenile Curfew Second Temporary Amendment Act of 2025 is set to expire Wednesday – during D.C. schools’ spring break and just days after a crowd of rowdy teenagers descended on the Navy Yard waterfront in the latest unsanctioned, viral takeover plaguing the city’s residents.
WATCH: ROWDY TEENAGERS SWARM DC NAVY YARD IN WATERFRONT TAKEOVER DESPITE POLICE JUVENILE CURFEW ZONE
In video shared by activist Elissa De Souza, dozens of individuals could be seen crowding a busy intersection after the curfew hours began over the weekend.
"What should’ve been a great night out in Navy Yard turned into something we’re seeing far too often," she wrote on X. "This isn’t a one-off—it’s a repeat pattern, and it’s happening later and later into the night. Residents and visitors should be able to enjoy a beautiful day, support new businesses, and have a peaceful meal without worrying about safety or disruption."
While some groups briefly engaged in disorderly conduct Saturday night, authorities did not make any arrests and the crowd dispersed without incident, according to officials.
WATCH: Swarm of teens floods DC streets in ‘takeover'
However, four individuals were arrested at the nearby Waterfront Metro Station – located outside of the city’s curfew zone – by members of the Metro Transit Police. Details regarding the circumstances of the arrests were not immediately available.
Additionally, officers reported six curfew violations within the Navy Yard area Sunday night, police said.
The law’s expiration date comes after the council previously decided to delay a decision on the emergency legislation, with Councilmember Brooke Pinto planning to call a vote next week in an effort to extend the law through the spring and summer months.
"My emergency bill would have kept the curfew in place through September 25," Pinto wrote in a previous press release. "The legislation gives the MPD Chief the authority to declare temporary juvenile curfew zones in designated areas, which is especially critical when they have information about planned ‘teen takeovers’ and other unsafe activities."
However, a group of D.C. residents are reportedly accusing the curfews of targeting Black juveniles within the area.
"They target Black working-class youth in Wards 7 and 8 while leaving untouched the conditions that harm communities in the first place," the Pan-African Community Action (PACA) said in a statement.
The city council is set to vote on extending the juvenile curfew law on April 21, with Mayor Muriel Bowser echoing her support for the legislation.
"We think we need [the law] now," Bowser said. "Because this is a lot of activity in the city and it’s a tool. It’s not the only one, but it has been an effective one."
A separate citywide curfew is set to remain in place, banning gatherings between the hours of 11 p.m. to 6 a.m., the MPD said.
"The D.C. council that is responsible for the teen crime, based upon the inept laws that they have passed, has basically said, ‘We’re going to postpone any decision and we’re going to let the discretionary curfew run out,’" U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanine Pirro told Fox News. "And they’re doing this while the schools are on spring break."
The MPD did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
Fox News' Alex Hogan and Sarah Rumpf-Whitten contributed to this report.
