Miami Beach imposes spring break curfew after gun violence: The restrictions will run from midnight till 6:00 am Thursday through Monday

The city of Miami Beach on Thursday imposed a midnight curfew to stem a wave of violence it has linked to 'spring break', a US college tradition which sees an influx of partygoers into Florida every year.

The decision came after two shootings that left five people wounded in recent days in Miami Beach, where the waterfront is taken over every spring by hordes of visitors for late-night drinking parties that sometimes turn ugly.

Last year police imposed a curfew after arresting more than 1,000 people over the course of six weeks for street fights and vandalism.

Spring break is part of the collective college experience of generations of American students -- but residents have increasingly opposed the social gatherings despite the contribution to the local economy.

The restrictions will run from midnight till 6:00 am Thursday through Monday.

The authorities announced the curfew on Monday after last weekend's shootings.

On Wednesday, city hall announced it was adding a ban on alcohol sales in liquor stores and supermarkets in the busiest parts of town from 6:00 pm until opening time the next day. These curbs do not extend to bars and restaurants.

Stephen Hunter Johnson, a member of the Miami-Dade Black Affairs Advisory Board, said he sees race as a factor.

He said authorities have chosen Miami Beach for the curfew because the city draws a lot of Black people.

"The only emergency is that Black people are on the Beach," he told the Miami Herald.

Police say they have seized around 100 firearms and arrested some 620 people in the city since February 18.