Residents of Miami Beach have recently been protesting the chaos that spring break partiers have brought to their area by gathering outside City Hall on Saturday. Miami Beach police were standing by during the protest, ensuring that everything remained safe and peaceful.

More than 100 people participated in the “Take Back the City” protest, ABC Miami affiliate WPLG reported.  “I’ve been screaming about this for a long time,” said South Florida political activist Kristen Rosen Gonzalez.

Spring break in Miami Beach has made headlines all over the world due to the amount of chaos and crime committed this year. “When we get this horrible PR it affects everyone, because people are afraid to come here,” said Rosen Gonzalez. “We welcome everyone to Miami Beach, but we want people to stop trashing our city.”

Thousands have been flocking to Miami’s beaches, Miami Beach Mayor Dan Gelber said on “Good Morning America” last week.

The mayhem occurring in the city has been so bad that Miami Beach declared a state of emergency, enacting an 8 p.m. curfew in an attempt to break crowds of potential partiers from gathering late at night. “I think that this particular area needs to be really battened down at night and we’re going to continue to do that until it’s pretty clear we don’t have to,” stated Gelber.

On March 12th, pepper balls were used on a crowd after two officers were injured. Days later, on March 20, they were again used to control crowds as police tried to enforce the curfew. Dozens of people have been arrested as a result of the revelry.

Residents expressed their frustrations at Saturday’s protest, feeling that the city should have been more prepared. As week two of the 8 p.m. curfew gets underway, workers could be seen clearing out Ocean Drive, closing outdoor cafés and restaurants.

Partying has continued to persist despite many colleges around the country canceling their traditional week-long holiday due to the COVID-19 pandemic.