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Crowds have been flocking to Miami beaches since early March.
Miami Beach residents have had enough of the Spring Break revelers taking control of their city.
Local protesters gathered outside town hall on Saturday to protest the chaos another year of spring break celebrations have brought to the city.
More than 100 people attended the “Take Back the City” protest, reported ABC Miami affiliate WPLG.
The chaos has been so severe that the city of Miami Beach has declared a state of emergency and declared an 8 p.m. curfew to prevent spring break crowds from gathering late into the night.
The spring break holiday has persisted despite many colleges across the country canceling traditional weeklong vacations due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Thousands of people have flocked to Miami’s beaches, Miami Beach Mayor Dan Gelber said on “Good Morning America” last week.
On March 12, pepper balls were used on a crowd after two police officers were injured. A few days later, on March 20, they were again used to control crowds as police attempted to enforce the curfew.
Dozens of people were arrested following the celebrations.
Over the weekend, protesters demanded Gelber and other officials end the party before Memorial Day weekend, when more crowds are expected.
David McKinney, a Miami Beach resident, told WPLG the city needs to treat the situation as a public safety issue.
Another protester, political activist Kristen Rosen Gonzalez, told the station she has been “yelling” about the situation for some time.
“When we get this horrible PR it affects everyone because people are afraid to come here,” Gonzalez said. “We welcome everyone to Miami Beach, but we want people to stop trashing our city.”
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