Polk County is imposing a curfew on residents between 9 p.m. and 5 a.m.
The curfew will be in place “indefinitely,” said Polk County Community Relations Specialist Jon Cahill.
Residents who are driving to or from work, as well as people needing emergency medical assistance, will be allowed to travel.
The curfew is in response to protests and civil unrest that have erupted in Des Moines and throughout the nation in response to the death of George Floyd, an unarmed black man who died last week while in the custody of Minneapolis police. An officer who was videotaped kneeling on Floyd’s neck has been fired and charged with murder.
The Iowa Secretary of State has sent a message to county attorneys asking that they allow people to vote in Tuesday’s primary and then return home from polling sites around 9 p.m.
