City council extends curfew for young people in the city centre from 8 p.m. after attack on couple

A downtown city councilor is calling for an earlier curfew for youth after a group attacked a Streeterville couple last Friday.

Ald. Brian Hopkins, 2nd District, is calling for an 8 p.m. curfew for unaccompanied minors in the city’s central business district, he told his constituents in an email. The “unprovoked and serious attack” that prompted his request occurred during one of many “chronic youth gatherings that have proven to be hotbeds of violent and lawless activity,” Hopkins wrote.

“I do not believe that every minor present at these recent gatherings had bad intentions,” he wrote. “But it is painfully clear that some agitators and group leaders have repeatedly incited violent and chaotic actions, and these activities cannot be tolerated.”

Hopkins plans to introduce an ordinance in the City Council next week to enforce the stricter curfew. The ordinance would include exceptions for planned events and commuting to work. Hopkins said the intent is to give police a tool to break up the large gatherings of youth that he says are becoming more common.

“We’re not trying to stop young people from coming downtown,” Hopkins said. “We’re trying to stop large gatherings of people either without a purpose or with the goal of causing chaos or crime.”

A spokesman for Mayor Brandon Johnson did not respond to questions about the proposed curfew. Chicago has a citywide curfew starting at 10 p.m. for children under 17 who are not accompanied by a parent or guardian.

Hopkins hopes the City Council will impose a new curfew for the area, which includes the Loop, River North, Streeterville and West Loop.

In an anonymous interview with Fox 32, the couple who were attacked last Friday showed cuts, bruises and torn hair. They said they were repeatedly kicked, punched, stomped on and even sprayed with pepper spray. The woman who was attacked said she was two weeks pregnant at the time and only later learned she had lost the baby.

Police said a group attacked the couple shortly after 9 p.m. near East Grand Avenue and North McClurg Street. A 14-year-old boy and a 17-year-old girl were arrested at the scene and both were charged with assault, according to police. Hopkins asked the Cook County District Attorney’s Office to upgrade the charges to a misdemeanor instead of a felony.

In Millennium Park, Johnson decided to keep a 6 p.m. curfew for youth imposed by former Mayor Lori Lightfoot, according to a city website. In May 2022, a 16-year-old boy was shot and killed during a nighttime gathering of youth in the park. In April 2023, chaos broke out nearby during another so-called “teen takeover.”

At the time, dozens of youths attacked passers-by in the city center, resulting in viral videos and further tightening of measures. Two youths were shot dead during the chaos.

Johnson said in May that the curfew in Millennium Park was “not consistent with my vision for the people of Chicago,” but did not respond to a direct question about whether he would change the curfew in the park.

Instead, Johnson emphasized his efforts to expand investments aimed at providing safe and enriching summer opportunities for youth. The mayor increased funding this summer for Chicago’s flagship youth employment program, One Summer Chicago, increasing the capacity for 4,000 young people to now fill up to 28,000 jobs.

“The most important thing we can do is invest in young people. And that is my only aim,” Johnson replied.

At least one councilman is skeptical of Hopkins’ proposed curfew. Councilman Bill Conway, 34, said he would defer to police in deciding whether the measure is necessary.

“They would be responsible for enforcement. It seems like it would be pretty difficult to enforce. I would have to ask them if that’s a helpful tool,” Conway said. “It’s hard to see how this curfew could be helpful.”

Conway added that he sees no reason why downtown should have an earlier curfew than other parts of the city. Chicago needs to focus on giving young people “meaningful opportunities,” he said.

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