A shopping center in Charlotte, North Carolina, called Camp North End has just banned all minors under the age of sixteen from being there after 6 pm.
Some online users criticized the policy, arguing that it may disproportionately affect certain groups and is allegedly racist. According to the below post, one person said, “Most of the kids that they are trying to demonize are black and brown kids… these are teenagers looking for something to do, hanging out with their friend.“
The video in question was posted to X by Matt Van Swol a former Nuclear Scientist for the Department of Energy, and features what appear to be a large group of youths with their cellphones raised, taking videos of the events. Police cars with their lights blaring can also be seen in the area.
The post claims that “hundreds of “teens” rushed the streets, blocked traffic, JUMPED ON MOVING CARS, fought each other in the streets while drinking, screamed at families with young children, and wielded guns.“
In response to this, Charlotte resident Chance Brown said, “When I was a teenager, I kind if just roamed the streets. I wasn’t doing anything crazy. I never hear about them committing crimes out here or anything. As long as they’re not causing trouble, I don’t see any harm in that. Six p.m. is kind of crazy. Especially if they are 16 and up, and they can drive. That’s kind of crazy to me.“
This comes after Birkdale Village, a community in Huntersville, North Carolina, also implemented a 6 pm curfew for unsupervised teens.
Reactions to Camp North End Cracking Down on Teen Gatherings
Users took to the replies of the X post and shared their opinions, with many commenting with images that read, “When they say ‘teen,’ they mean ‘black’.”
Other commenters felt that the curfew is counterproductive, with one person writing, “What happened to law and order? Teenagers are spending too much time at home in front of their computers/phones, and I’m not sure that banning all of them from hanging out with their friends, in person, is the best option. I’m tired of our country managing policies to the lowest common denominator. Put these kids in jail, punish to the full extent of the law, try violent criminals as adults. It seems like a curfew is the easy way out. Is it possible to lock the bad kids up instead of locking everyone at home? (Caveat – I don’t live there and don’t have all the details, so it’s very possible that I’m oversimplifying the solution.)“
Currently, the curfew remains in effect for those aged 16 and under in the Camp North End area of Charlotte, North Carolina.
