A wave of chaos swept over an upscale neighborhood in Washington, D.C., as a large group of unruly teenagers took to the streets, creating a scene of disorder.
On Saturday night, this boisterous crowd descended upon Navy Yard, an affluent and fashionable area of the U.S. capital, as residents and visitors attempted to enjoy a peaceful evening out.
In a video shared on X by investigator Elissa De Souza, a throng of teenagers can be seen dashing through a bustling intersection, some on foot and others cycling, disrupting the neighborhood’s usual tranquility.
De Souza, who was dining at a local restaurant, witnessed the unfolding chaos through the windows as police lights and sirens pierced the night. The teenagers dispersed rapidly, scattering in all directions.
“What should have been an enjoyable evening in Navy Yard turned into a scene that’s becoming all too familiar,” De Souza remarked in her post.
She described her experience, saying, “While having dinner at Takumi, a recent addition to the area, the view was one of pandemonium with fights breaking out and large groups of teens running through the streets following yet another unruly gathering at the Bullpen.”
The latest disturbance comes as the Pan-African Community Action Group, a local activist organization, called on the DC leaders to end the curfew that was put in place to quell the issue, suggesting that it criminalizes and directly targets black youth.
In November, Washington DC Mayor Muriel Bowser announced that anyone under the age of 18 is not allowed out between 11pm and 6am across the District of Columbia. An 8pm curfew is set to start this weekend in Navy Yard.
A rowdy group of teenagers took over a prominent Washington DC neighborhood on Saturday evening, disturbing diners as they tried to enjoy their night
Video of the mayhem was posted to X by Elissa De Souza. The Metropolitan Police Department told the Daily Mail that the agency did not make any arrests in connection with the filmed incident
The set curfew for Navy Yard did not sit well with members of the Pan-African Community Action Group, who believe that youth do not need to be controlled by it.
‘We’re challenging the idea that our youth need criminalizing and that they need to be contained or told where or where not to be,’ Garret Harris, a member of Pan-African Community Action, told NBC 4.
He then pointed to the beauty of the Navy Yard, which he referred to as a ‘human playground’.
‘I mean, if you look behind us, or if you walk around Navy Yard, you see how beautiful it is. You know, I live in Southeast, and there’s nothing like this in Southeast,’ Harris explained.
‘This is like a human playground. So it’s obvious why the youth want to come out here because it’s beautiful. You can have a good time, live bands.
‘So telling them they can or cannot come out here to us is just trying to contain them from being able to enjoy the things that are developed because they’re not developed for them.’
Harris and other group members came together for a rally on Saturday at Yards Park, according to an Instagram post.
‘Curfews don’t keep us safe—they expand policing and mass incarceration,’ the group wrote.
Garret Harris, a member of Pan-African Community Action, spoke out against the juvenile curfew that was introduced in November. He and the organization are fighting to have it abolished, as the extension deadline will be voted on soon
Harris and other group members came together for a rally on Saturday at Yards Park
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Is this about safety or over-policing?
The emergency legislation that initially started the curfew will expire on Wednesday, and Mayor Bowser has urged the council to extend it.
The DC Council is set to vote on extending the curfew on April 21 after postponing a previous vote.
The Metropolitan Police Department told the Daily Mail the agency did not make any arrests in connection to the incident, but the Metro Transit Police Department did arrest four people on Metro platforms that night.
The minors were arrested at the Navy Yard station, with three of them being cited for disorderly affray, or fighting, and the fourth for disorderly conduct, assaulting a police officer, and unlawful entry, according to the Metro Transit Police Department.
The Daily Mail contacted Mayor Bowser for comment about the incident over the weekend.
A similar teen takeover took place just before the new year, resulting in five being arrested after getting into a violent clash with the National Guard in Washington DC.
An officer was injured during the melee after hundreds of youths descended on the city’s famed Navy Yard just after 7.30pm on October 31, police said.
A similar teen takeover took place just before the new year, resulting in five being arrested after getting into a violent clash with the National Guard in Washington DC
The teens were peaceful at first, but as the night progressed the, ‘group began engaging in fights and disrupting the flow of traffic, repeatedly ignoring instructions to remain on the sidewalks.’
Dramatic video shot by a nearby resident showed teenagers pursued by police, including National Guardsmen, running in the park. Screams can be heard in the chaos.
Police – alongside the National Guard, Capitol Police, Metro Transit Police, and a Federal Task Force – closed down the streets in the area and worked to disperse the group.
By 11pm, the group had dispersed, and five were arrested.
Kaeden Brown, 18, was arrested for allegedly being in possession of a knife.
Four minors, between the ages of 14 and 16, were also arrested on various charges, including public consumption of marijuana, affray, and failing to obey.
