Atlanta mayor: Curfew will be lifted for first time in a week

The city of Atlanta, Ga., will not enforce a curfew Saturday for the first time in one week since protests broke out over the death of George Floyd, an unarmed black man who died while in Minneapolis police custody May 25.

Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms (D) announced Saturday that the city would not be under a curfew from Saturday until sunrise on Sunday, according to CNN.

The curfew for Friday evening was set for 8 p.m. ET.

Protesters reportedly peacefully picketed the mayor’s home early Saturday morning before demonstrations took place downtown later in the day, according to 11 Alive.

Demonstrators stood outside the mayor’s house for around 30 minutes before they were deterred by outnumbering police officers.

In a tweet from The City of Atlanta announced that it would offer free COVID-19 tests to protesters throughout the morning into the late afternoon, as many health experts warn cases of the virus could spike as the nation participates in public demonstrations.