Downtown Los Angeles is under curfew until 6 a.m., a measure the city is still under as it deals with nights of looting and vandalism following federal immigration enforcement actions. You see hundreds of LAPD officers, plus other agencies, some even on horseback, making arrests for anyone still out. LA Mayor Karen Bass said this likely isn't over for several nights. The curfew covers about one square mile, between the 5, 110, and 10 freeways. Eyewitnesses say a big protest group outside the federal building broke up fast once the curfew started, leaving just a handful hanging around. The police were way more numerous than the people left out. Even with the curfew, some folks showed up for a peaceful gathering, like religious leaders and human rights folks. Mayor Bass declared the emergency curfew to stop the chaos and crime downtown. She said LAPD and other California agencies are teaming up to stop the destruction and break-ins. The curfew doesn't hit residents of the area, people commuting, the homeless, or media folks with credentials. This whole mess started with ICE raids in Southern California, which really lit a fire under everyone. Sixty-seven protesters got arrested Tuesday after walking onto the 101 and blocking it up. Mayor Bass said she doesn't get why President Trump sent the National Guard, and apparently, she's bringing in Marines to LA. Elected leaders and police will chat tomorrow about the curfew.
It feels like the city is at a breaking point, with protests and looting continuing downtown. The curfew Mayor Karen Bass put in place is tough, but it's clear the real issues that sparked this aren't just magically gone. The ICE raids definitely stoked a lot of anger, and you can see the community standing together for those caught in it. But man, when things get heated, it's easy for things to spiral out of control. The LAPD and other agencies are trying their best to keep things calm, but a curfew alone isn't the whole fix. We need our leaders stepping up and actually doing something about the root causes, providing the help this community desperately needs. This isn't just about the curfew; it's about why we're here in the first place.