Mayor Karen Bass has extended the curfew in Los Angeles to 6 a.m. Friday, as anti-ICE demonstrations continue despite the order, with the LAPD intervening to disperse crowds. Initially peaceful protests have escalated, leading to confrontations requiring law enforcement, and the city has deployed over 2,000 National Guardsmen to manage the situation.
The protests in LA exploded over the weekend, causing the Los Angeles Police Department to declare an ‘unlawful assembly’ Sunday night. The LAPD’s Central Division wrote on X that ‘agitators have splintered into and through out the Downtown Area,’ urging residents, businesses, and visitors to remain alert and report any criminal activity. Officers are responding to several different locations to disperse crowds.
Bass announced she would be extending the curfew on Thursday during a news conference and stated that it seemed to be helping to lessen confrontations between law enforcement and protesters. ‘We have had to have a curfew in the city because we want to make sure that the downtown neighborhood and all the other neighborhoods are safe,’ she said. ‘But let me be very clear, we want peace to come to our city. The peace that we need to have happen needs to begin in Washington, and we need to stop the raids.’
Over the last couple of days what started out as a peaceful protest has continued to escalate with rioters burning flags in the streets, defacing police vehicles, and destroying property. Since then, more than 2,000 National Guardsmen have been stationed in L.A., to combat protests that are expected to continue through the weekend. Los Angeles residents may also begin to see Marines in the area as soon, with protection operations in coordination with the National Guard set to begin Friday.