Polk County announces curfew following weekend violent protests

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (KCCI) - The Polk County Board of Supervisors announced Sunday evening a curfew for the county, KCCI-TV in Des Moines reports.

“Due to the violent outbreak of civil unrest that has taken place in the past two days, Polk County is issuing a mandatory stay-at-home curfew effective immediately,” the announcement stated.

The curfew begins 9 p.m. Sunday and goes until 5 a.m. Monday.

“It is heartbreaking to watch as some businesses started responsibly opening their doors to face this backlash of unrest," said supervisor Matt McCoy. "It is imperative that we have cooperation from the community to prevent violence and property damage. For this reason, Polk County has no other choice but to make this difficult decision.”

According to the statement, Gov. Kim Reynolds has supported this notion.