ORLANDO, Fla. – Business owners in Orlando are expressing concern about a newly implemented curfew in the downtown bar district that will go into effect at 1 a.m. Saturday morning. following a recent shooting.

Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer declared a state of emergency Friday afternoon, imposing a 1 to 5 a.m. curfew and requiring alcohol sales to end at midnight. Emergency measures are expected to last seven days.

“Halloween is our Super Bowl,” said Thomas O’Toole, owner of a parking management company that has plenty of parking spaces downtown. “This is the largest event in downtown Orlando, ten times New Year’s Eve, ten times as many as any other event.”

Thomas O’Toole, owner of The Parking Operator, expressed disappointment with the announcement, adding that the restrictions penalized businesses that were not involved in the violence.

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“His impact is felt by everyone,” O’Toole said. “Everybody wants it to be safe. There’s no one who comes here with the idea of ​​not being safe.”

Orlando City Commissioner Shan Rose acknowledged safety concerns but cited challenges posed by Florida’s universal carry law.

“Safety is the top priority,” Rose said. “That’s the message. We do not give sudden reactions. “We’re making sure we’re protecting everyone downtown.”

The new restrictions come after a shooting that injured ten people. In response, Rose announced a security plan to increase security in the bar area.

But O’Toole argued the restrictions unfairly targeted small businesses.

“So every business in downtown Orlando is now impacted by a person who is not the boss and pulls a gun. I would basically call him a terrorist,” O’Toole said.

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