After the city struggled to contain large crowds with its police force, Black leaders questioned the tactics.

By Michael Majchrowicz and Audra D. S. Burch

MIAMI BEACH — They were invited. So they came.

After a year of mostly staying inside, a mix of college students on spring break and tourists, by the tens of thousands, descended on Miami Beach, a vacation hot spot that — along with the rest of Florida — has lifted most Covid-19 restrictions, opening its restaurants and clubs and bars.

The huge crowds that gathered in the city’s famous 10-block beachside entertainment district starting in late February became unruly at times, with fights breaking out and gunshots fired into the air, causing stampedes.

In the weeks since, more than 1,000 people have been arrested, a third or more on drug and alcohol consumption charges. The police have seized more than 100 guns. And there has been some violence; in perhaps the most serious case, two male visitors are accused of drugging and raping a woman who later died.

But the raucous partying was also, by and large, nonviolent, city officials say. And for that reason, many Black leaders in town have questioned what happened next.

On Saturday, the city declared a state of emergency. A few hours later, a military-style armored vehicle and police officers in riot gear moved down Ocean Drive, blaring sound cannons and firing pepper balls to disperse the crowds and enforce the newly declared curfew.

The resulting footage of heavily armed police officers cracking down on unarmed crowds reminded many people of last summer’s protests against police brutality, prompting local Black leaders to criticize Miami Beach city officials for being poorly prepared for the chaos and unnecessarily heavy-handed in their response. The city has been accused of racism before in its handling of large Black crowds, particularly during Memorial Day weekends over the years.

“This felt like a total overreaction,” said Stephen Hunter Johnson, chair of the Miami-Dade Black Affairs Advisory Board. “Of course their job is to make sure people are safe and to deal with unruly behavior, but why do they handle Black tourists so aggressively?”

He continued: “I think people see these large crowds of young Black people, and there is anger and the sense that something must be done. We want our people to be treated the same as anyone else, not better or worse.”

Mr. Johnson also said that similar partying by white tourists in another spring break locale, South Padre Island in Texas, had not brought a similar police crackdown.

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