(MENAFN) A restricted five-night nighttime curfew has been implemented for individuals under 18 years old in Washington, DC, following a massive altercation among groups of teenagers on Halloween night. Under the new order, all minors are required to stay indoors from 11 p.m. to 6 a.m., Saturday through Wednesday.

Mayor Muriel Bowser explained that the measure was enacted “in response to several weeks of disorderly juvenile behavior which endangered both themselves and others.”

The Metropolitan Police Department Chief, Pamela Smith, created “special juvenile curfew zones” in several key areas — including Navy Yard, the U Street Corridor, Banneker Recreation Center, and Union Station.

This action follows the circulation of a viral video showing National Guard troops dispersing a violent clash in the Navy Yard area.

Law enforcement officials reported that on Halloween, several hundred youths gathered in a park close to the Navy Yard Metro Station, where “many of the juveniles within the group began engaging in fights and disrupting the flow of traffic.”

Authorities arrested five males between the ages of 14 and 18, one of whom was found in possession of a knife.

“The behavior displayed last night in Navy Yard is unacceptable, and MPD and our law enforcement partners will have an increased presence tonight to ensure this does not happen again,” Smith stated.

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