Rochester Mayor Malik Evans has instated a ban on gatherings of 10 or more people in public spaces between 11 p.m. and 5 a.m.
The restrictions come as an emergency order after a series of early morning shootings on the Fourth of July weekend in the East End. Seven people were shot, and one person was stabbed, none fatally.
“This is a matter of life and death,” Evans said. “Not only do these crowd-related shootings put the lives of those who are engaged in the violence at risk, but it puts the lives of innocent bystanders at risk. Lives are at stake, and I will use every tool at my disposal to protect those lives.”
Those found in violation of the policy are subject to a class B misdemeanor.
A city spokesperson was adamant that the policy is not a curfew. Curfew policies introduced by previous mayors have been shot down by state courts.
The ban makes explicit carve outs for employment related activity, and more notably, the constitutionally protected rights to free speech and assembly.
In an email, Patrick Beath, the city's top attorney, clarified that the policy would only apply to public spaces including parks, sidewalks, parking lots, and vacant lots. Violators would be given a warning, and only be charged if they refused to leave the premises.
Exceptions to the rule, he said, would apply exclusively to political protest, religious ceremonies, or other varieties of demonstrations. It also would not include permitted events, block parties, or restaurants with sidewalk seating.
In a joint release Friday evening, City Council members Mary Lupien, Stanley Martin and Chiara "KeeKee" Smith called on Evans to rescind the emergency order.
Overall, shootings are down in the city compared to previous years. Between July 20, 2025 and July 20, 2026, 141 people were shot in the city, according to data from the Rochester Police Department. The last year that saw a comparable count was 2012.
Six people have been killed in the city so far this year, one by gunfire. Comparably, by the end of July 2025 there were 17 homicides.
