The leaders of Los Angeles are trying to wrangle back control of the city that has now been marked by protest and the presence of federal troops. Mayor Karen Bass put a curfew in place for a portion of the downtown area of Los Angeles on Tuesday. This came as Bass declared a local emergency as a result of the escalating protests in the city.
“Curfew remains in effect tonight… for downtown Los Angeles to stop bad actors who are taking advantage of the President’s chaotic escalation,” Bass said via a social media update on Wednesday evening. “If you do not live or work in downtown L.A., avoid the area and follow guidance from law enforcement.”
The active-duty Marines are set to join around 2,000 National Guard members deployed by President Donald Trump. He notably federalized the state officials without a request being made by Gov. Gavin Newsom, who has strongly criticized the move.
“The military’s simply not needed. But what he [Trump] is doing is trying to gin things up to create problems,” Newsom said in a new interview on a New York Times podcast, released on Thursday, adding that the arrival of the National Guard flared tensions between authorities and protesters. “We had to defend the National Guard. We had to use our own law enforcement to protect them… Just think about how perverse that is.”
Trump’s choice to send in the National Guard has also been challenged legally by the state of California. On Thursday, a federal court is scheduled to hear the case over California’s request to block the Trump Administration from using troops in L.A. to quell unrest sparked by ICE raids. The hearing comes after an emergency motion for a temporary restraining order filed by Newsom on Tuesday was denied.
As protests continue, with demonstrations since spilling out into other cities across the U.S., here’s what you need to know about the curfew in place for L.A.
What are the exact parameters of the L.A. curfew?
Under Mayor Bass’ instruction, the curfew lasts from 8 p.m., local time, until 6 a.m. the following morning.
The one-mile-radius curfew covers a portion of downtown Los Angeles. Parts of Chinatown, Little Tokyo, the Fashion District, and the Arts District are within or near the curfew’s boundaries.
You can see the curfew’s parameters in full, below:
How long is the L.A. curfew expected to last?
According to Bass’ original notice, the order will hold true until the local emergency declaration is terminated—which remains in effect as of June 12.
Bass said in a press conference with other local leaders on Wednesday that the curfew’s stay will likely be dependent on how long ICE raids continue in the city.
“The emergency declaration that I signed yesterday does not have a time limit to it, and so the curfews will go on as long as they are needed,” Bass said. “But, it’s really kind of interdependent on what the response is from the federal side. If there are raids that continue, if there are soldiers marching up and down our street, I would imagine that the curfew will continue.”
Bass also said that there were over a hundred arrests on the first night of curfew, though not for looting or violent charges, just for “failure to disperse and curfew violation.”
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