LOS ANGELES (AP) — Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass lifted a curfew in downtown Los Angeles on Tuesday that was first imposed in response to clashes with police, looting and vandalism amid protests against President Donald Trump ’s immigration crackdown in the city.
The curfew imposed June 10 provided “successful crime prevention and suppression efforts” and protected stores, restaurants, businesses and residents from people engaging in violence and vandalism, Bass, a Democrat, said.
On Monday, she trimmed back the hours after a drop in arrests during evening demonstrations, noting a reduction in violence and vandalism in downtown that followed the protests.
When the curfew was imposed, Bass said the city “reached a tipping point” after 23 businesses were broken into and robbed, which was blamed on agitators looking to cause trouble.
The curfew covered a relatively tiny slice of the sprawling city — the area of concern was concentrated in a section of downtown where the looting and vandalism occurred.
On June 8, thousands of protesters took to the streets in response to Trump’s extraordinary deployment of the National Guard, blocking off a major freeway as law enforcement used tear gas, rubber bullets, and flash bangs to control the crowd.
A day later, police officers used flash bangs and shot projectiles as they pushed protesters through a crowded, popular downtown commercial area where bystanders and restaurant workers rushed to get out of their way. Some protesters set off fireworks and threw water bottles at the officers, yelling, “Shame!”
Photos captured several Waymo robotaxis set on fire.
Trump ordered the deployment of roughly 4,000 National Guard troops and 700 Marines to the nation’s second-largest city following protests over his stepped-up enforcement of immigration laws.
On Sunday, Trump directed federal immigration officials to prioritize deportations from Democratic-run cities, a move that comes after large protests erupted in Los Angeles and other major cities against his administration’s immigration policies.
