Los Angeles Enforces Night Curfew Amid Ongoing Protests Over Immigration Policies
On Tuesday, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass announced a night curfew in parts of downtown where intense protests against former President Donald Trump's immigration policies have been ongoing for five consecutive days. The unrest has escalated significantly following Trump's controversial decision to deploy Marines and the National Guard to manage the protests, defying the wishes of California Governor Gavin Newsom and the mayor herself.
The curfew, effective from 8 PM to 6 AM without a specified end date, encompasses the city's central district, which covers approximately 25 square kilometers of the total 2300 square kilometers of Los Angeles. Notably, the curfew allows for several exceptions, including law enforcement, medical and emergency personnel, residents, commuters, journalists, and the homeless.
The protests erupted in response to recent Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids that resulted in the arrest of dozens of individuals alleged to be undocumented migrants. Initially, demonstrators resorted to throwing stones and setting fire to cars, but by Saturday, the situation had significantly calmed, with law enforcement reporting a return to peaceful gatherings.
However, in an unprecedented move by his administration, Trump decided on Saturday night to dispatch the National Guard, despite a lack of request from the state's leadership. Typically, the National Guard is deployed during natural disasters or severe riots upon request from state governments. Trump's decision, viewed by many as politically motivated, marks the first instance of such federal intervention since riots in 1965.
Trump, who has made repeated threats to use military forces against Democratic-led cities, seized upon the Los Angeles protests as a chance to assert his authority. Not only is Newsom a vocal critic of Trump, but he is also seen as a potential future rival on the national political stage.
As tensions heightened between federal and state authorities, Governor Newsom and California Attorney General Rob Bonta announced a lawsuit against Trump, seeking a court injunction to counter his military deployment order. In a further escalation, Trump revealed plans to send 700 Marines, augmenting the 2000 National Guard personnel already deployed, which was an unusual move to intervene in civil unrest.
The arrival of the Marines on Tuesday afternoon placed them in a peripheral area of the city, poised for possible mobilization. Trump's military intervention in Los Angeles has sparked a wave of demonstrations in other cities across the United States. In New York, numerous individuals were arrested while protests intensified. In Texas, the state's governor requested the National Guard's deployment in a more traditional fashion.
As frustrations continue to unfold, Tuesday saw hundreds of demonstrators blocking traffic on Highway 101 in Los Angeles, resulting in dozens of arrests. The ongoing situation remains fluid, with protests driven by deeply felt sentiments around immigration policies and a broader critique of federal involvement in local governance.
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