On the tail of the NFL Draft, the City of Pittsburgh announced that there will be new restrictions on unaccompanied minors in Market Square. WESA reports that, "Under the new rules, from Thursday to Sunday, between the hours of 3 p.m. and midnight, youth under 18 will only be permitted to be in the plaza if they are accompanied by someone 21 or older." This announcement comes following a large fight between teens in Market Square that required police intervention and several threats of "Downtown Takeovers" by teens.

WESA interviewed two City High seniors just days after the new curfew rules went into effect. 

“It's really not fair, to be honest,” said Ousmane Conde-Cyrus, a senior at City Charter High School, which is just a few minutes’ walk from Market Square. “You have to be 18 to go to a public space? That doesn't really make any sense.”

Jay Siwa, a senior at City High, said she and her peers have long discussed the need for more teen spaces outside of school and home.

“ We need third spaces where we can study, where we can talk to each other, relax, also have some physical release — maybe some activities like the gym,” Siwa said.

While many teens found ways to build community online during and after the pandemic, Siwa said her peers are now hungry for more in-person experiences.

“Even if you go home, you're going to be online,” she said. “And that just leads to this generation continuing to be parasocial, and that's not what we want. We want to talk to other people in real life.”

You read more on WESA's website.