Club owners in Miami Beach claim the spring break curfew has cost them thousands of dollars due to the loss of crowds.
That same crowd is now heading north to Fort Lauderdale, where videos and photos show a huge and mostly safe party scene. People have packed the city’s beaches and bars as officials welcome them back after Miami Beach’s curfew.
“We want to thank you for closing down Miami so we could come to this beautiful place here,” Jy’meria Franklin shared. WPLG.
While Fort Lauderdale welcomed the party, the scene in Miami Beach was different. The crowd was noticeably lighter in front of the neon lights and glitzy hotels. Officials told the spring breakers they wanted to split up after last year’s fatal chaos.
That ‘split’ has resulted in lost revenue for club owners in Miami Beach. Michael Witt, an operator for M2, told us 7News the club faced “up to half a million dollars” in losses.
Miami Beach club owners claim spring break curfews have cost them thousands of dollars due to crowd losses – with one saying he lost $500,000
Miami-Dade Circuit Judge David Miller ruled the curfew was “reasonable” after an emergency hearing Saturday afternoon
Ramain Zago, the owner of Mynt Lounge, said he was stunned by the city’s curfew, which followed a series of violence and shootings last year.
“There was no chaos, there was no shooting, there was nothing – so why was a curfew imposed?” he said.
Sultan Restaurant owner Dogan Tepecik said the curfew also hurt his bottom line.
“I can’t pay the bill and I’m losing big business,” she told WPLG.
Local bar owners had challenged Miami Beach’s ordinance imposing a curfew. But a judge ruled it was ‘reasonable’
The city’s weekend curfew is intended to limit crowds. It was implemented on Friday, Saturday and Sunday evenings, from 11:59 pm to 6 am the following morning, and expires tomorrow.
Anyone violating the curfew will be fined or taken into custody.
Additionally, the city has designated a “Special Event Zone” from 17th Street to South Pointe Park, from Friday evening through Monday morning.
Within this area, fines for non-criminal traffic violations may be doubled and vehicles may be seized for violations.
Last year, the former mayor of Miami Beach said he wanted to cancel Spring Break after fatal chaos broke out on more than one occasion. Then a curfew was imposed after two fatal shootings
The city’s weekend curfew is intended to limit crowds. It was implemented on Friday, Saturday and Sunday evenings, from 11:59 PM to 6:00 AM the following morning, and expires tomorrow
Last year, the former mayor of Miami Beach said he wanted to cancel Spring Break after fatal chaos broke out on more than one occasion. Then a curfew was imposed after two fatal shootings.
This year, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis said he and his state-level staff are “ready to help our local communities maintain order.”
He has deployed 140 state troops to several hotspots, adding that he is ready to send additional reinforcements if necessary.
“We don’t like chaos,” he said.
Miami Beach’s decision actually pushed the party north, as spring breakers proclaimed the city the “new Miami.” In recent days, thousands of people flocked to Florida beaches — many drinking and some fighting for police before passing out.
Partygoers have flocked to Fort Lauderdale after a curfew was imposed in Miami Beach to curb crowd sizes
In recent days, thousands of people flocked to Florida beaches — many drinking and some fighting for police before passing out
Videos show the streets and beaches of Fort Lauderdale packed with tourists
Unlike Miami Beach, Fort Lauderdale “embraces” tourists, Mayor Dean Trantalis said
For the most part, videos and photos showed young people enjoying their spring break fun in Fort Lauderdale
Officials said they made 10 arrests in spring break-related incidents between March 4 and March 12. The crimes ranged from drug-related offenses to disorderly conduct and assault on an officer
Officials said they made 10 arrests in spring break-related incidents between March 4 and March 12. The crimes ranged from drug-related offenses to disorderly conduct and assault on an officer.
But for the most part, videos and photos showed young people enjoying their spring break fun in Fort Lauderdale.
“They broke up with us, so we had to slide down to Fort Lauderdale,” Kephene Wash, visiting from Tampa, told WPLG.
Unlike Miami Beach, Fort Lauderdale “embraces” tourists, Mayor Dean Trantalis said USA TODAY.
“We understand that spring break often brings young people who want to have a good time,” he explained.
“As long as they’re, you know, engaging in a behavior that you know doesn’t destroy property … we believe that spring break is a welcome opportunity for Fort Lauderdale to host.”
“They broke up with us, so we had to slide into Fort Lauderdale,” said Kephene Wash, who was visiting from Tampa. Pictured: Spring breakers having fun in Fort Lauderdale
People on a beach in Fort Lauderdale take photos while enjoying spring break fun
Spring goers enjoy themselves in Fort Lauderdale after Miami Beach imposed a curfew
Many bars in Fort Lauderdale offered 2-for-1 deals to lure students to the booming establishments in time for St. Patrick’s Day, while others drank their own brews on the beach — with one group drinking what they described as “leprechaun juice ‘ consumed for the Irish feast.
Bikini-clad partygoers donned bright green bikinis as they soaked up the sun and posed for selfies in glittery hats and shamrock headbands before screaming into the crystal blue water.
Kaiya Washington, a 22-year-old University at Buffalo student, told DailyMail.com she was heading to Fort Lauderdale because of the chaos and fatalities that had plagued Miami in recent years.
“We were here for a week, last year we heard a lot about shootings in Miami and how it was generally unsafe, so we came here,” she said.
“We’re so glad we did that, especially since the curfews and policing are so strict in Miami — and we haven’t really heard of any shootings or many problems here.”