Protesters gather at the corner of Fremont and Las Vegas Blvd during the 4th night of protests over the killing of George Floyd, Monday June 1, 2020.
Wednesday, June 3, 2020 | 2:46 p.m.
The Las Vegas City Council passed an ordinance banning large purses and bags at public protests, two days after a Metro Police officer was shot at a demonstration on the Strip.
Protesters will also not be allowed to carry coolers, briefcases, backpacks, fanny packs, cinch bags, computer bags, camera bags or luggage. The ban doesn’t include cases for medical devices needed for “immediate assistance” or equipment for journalists.
Demonstrators will also not be able to bring strollers, carts or any vehicle moved by human, mechanical or electrical means. Exceptions for people who need a scooter or similar vehicle for medical reasons are in place.
Violating the ordinance is a misdemeanor with a maximum penalty of a $1,000 fine and six months in jail.
The ban was passed after days of protests spurred by the death of George Floyd, a black man who died after a police officer in Minneapolis pressed his knee onto Floyd’s neck.
The ordinance was introduced Tuesday and passed without the normal three-day waiting period, under a statute allowing governmental bodies to skip the typical requirement in an emergency.
The ordinance, due to its emergency status, had to be passed unanimously. It will remain in effect until July 31, though it could be canceled before then.
Protests began in Las Vegas over the weekend, and the end of Monday’s demonstration turned violent.
A 20-year-old Las Vegas man, Edgar Samaniego, was arrested on a count of attempted murder in the shooting of Metro Officer Shay Mikalonis, police said. Mikalonis was critically wounded as offices were breaking up a crowd on the north end of the Strip, police said.
In downtown Las Vegas, Metro and federal officers fatally shot a man who pulled a gun near the federal courthouse, police said.
Las Vegas Mayor Carolyn Goodman said the shooting of Mikalonis was “heart wrenching” and wished him a speedy recovery.
She called protesters who turn violent part of a “horrible, senseless group of people that continue to take and destroy things that aren’t theirs.”
Goodman also called Floyd’s death a “senseless” tragedy and said Las Vegas’ diversity is one of its strengths.
She praised “the peaceful protestors — those who’ve come out every single night, every single afternoon during the day to march, hold their signs and work together as the family.”
Organizers of a protest near Las Vegas City Hall tonight stated on Facebook that they were debating canceling the event. Regardless, City Hall will close early today over safety concerns.
