Lester Watkins was grilling out on the Fourth of July at 31st Street Beach, where he expressed his displeasure about the 9 p.m. curfew that was going to take effect that night. He mentioned that the beach was filled with adults over the age of 35 who were enjoying their time with their families, without causing any trouble.
The curfew was put in place due to multiple shootings that occurred near the beach in the last two weeks of June. The local Alderman, Lamont Robinson, mentioned that the 9 p.m. closure would be re-evaluated every day after the holiday to determine if it needed to continue. Initially, the curfew was set for 10 days but was reduced to extend only through Monday, after a local business owner raised concerns about losing profits if they had to close early.
Lester Watkins agreed with the 9 p.m. curfew until the situation could be controlled. He mentioned an incident where a young lady stabbed someone recently and another where a confrontation in a parking lot led to a couple being killed, both of which happened within two weeks leading up to July Fourthth
