Isai RochaThis post will be updated as the story develops.
Mayor Eric Garcetti ordered a one-night curfew covering the entire city of Los Angeles on Saturday, from 8 p.m. to 5:30 a.m. on Sunday, as the city attempts to clean up the debris from multiple days of protests and law enforcement patrols the city.
In conjunction with Governor Gavin Newsom’s declaration of a state of emergency in Los Angeles, the mayor requested 1,000 members of the National Guard to assist law enforcement. The mayor had initially announced there would be no deployment of National Guard members.
Sheriff Alex Villanueva said that the National Guard would not be used in any law enforcement roles and will be leaving that to “professional police officers who have the training.”
The California National Guard is being deployed to Los Angeles overnight to support our local response to maintain peace and safety on the streets of our city.
— MayorOfLA (@MayorOfLA) May 31, 2020
The curfew has been expanded to the entire city to keep Angelenos safe. People in the City of Los Angeles are required to stay indoors tonight, starting at 8 p.m. until 5:30 a.m. on Sunday morning.
— MayorOfLA (@MayorOfLA) May 31, 2020
Garcetti said residents must abide by the 8 p.m. curfew, which was originally to cover only parts of downtown, and stay home, as anyone in public after curfew will be seen as someone “looking to get into trouble,” and will be subject to arrest.
“This is no longer a protest, this is destruction,” Garcetti said in an interview with NBC Los Angeles. “Looting, stealing, or vandalizing have nothing to do with the protest.”
The curfew order comes on the heels of multiple days of protests — at times marked by incidents of property damage and clashes with police — in response to the death of George Floyd. Floyd died earlier this week while being detained by police officers in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
The officers involved in the incident have since been fired, and one has been indicted on multiple charges, including third degree murder.
Garcetti asked demonstrators to not loot and damage property. He also said the protests have forced the city to shut down COVID-19 testing centers.
We will always protect free speech and Angelenos’ right to live without fear of violence or vandalism. To increase safety for demonstrators, law enforcement and all citizens of Los Angeles, we are putting a curfew in place from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m.
https://t.co/vy3XM760qb— MayorOfLA (@MayorOfLA) May 30, 2020
Other cities in the region have followed L.A. and declared curfews of their own. Mayor Lindsey Horvath announced an 8 p.m.-5:30 a.m. curfew in West Hollywood, as did Beverly Hills. Businesses will be closed, and residents have been asked to stay home.
The City and @WHDLASD are aware of and monitoring the protest events taking place today. In an overabundance of caution, the City will likely enforce an 8PM curfew this evening. More details to come. Please follow @wehocity for the latest information. #WeHo
— City of West Hollywood (@WeHoCity) May 30, 2020
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