Dayton reopens streets, downtown quiet after protest-filled weekend

The city of Dayton has reopened the downtown streets it had earlier closed Monday afternoon, including portions of Main and Third streets.

Potential protests failed to materialize after a weekend of large crowds in downtown Dayton to protest the death of George Floyd.

>> Beavercreek Walmart closes ahead of planned protest

Floyd was killed one week ago while handcuffed and with a Minneapolis police officer’s knee on his throat for more than eight minutes while Floyd said he could not breathe. Video of the encounter sparked protests nationwide, and events in Dayton on Saturday became tense, prompting two nights of curfews.

>> No plans to enforce curfew in Dayton tonight

Today, the city said it would not enforce the curfew, unless protests escalated.

City officials said they expected protests and had seen social media postings about a planned event. By 4:30 p.m., some officers left the area because crowds had not gathered.