Los Angeles was put on lockdown after Mayor Karen Bass declared a local emergency, bowing to pressure as chaos escalated. "We reached a tipping point," Bass said during a press briefing, as she announced a local emergency following the vandalism of 23 businesses on Monday night.
Meanwhile, Governor Gavin Newsom slammed President Trump, blaming him for worsening the immigration crisis. A curfew has been enforced in the riot-stricken Downtown area, turning it into a restricted zone from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m., starting Tuesday night through Wednesday morning. The move comes after violent protests erupted, with demonstrators setting vehicles on fire, looting businesses, and launching attacks on police using rocks, fireworks, and concrete bricks—resulting in scenes of widespread destruction.
LA on Fire
Bass announced that the curfew could remain in effect for several days and will cover a one-square-mile area centered around the most heavily affected parts of Downtown Los Angeles. "If you do not live or work in downtown LA, stay away," Bass warned.
The city has been in chaos ever since peaceful protests spiraled into riots following a series of workplace raids by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents, who detained people suspected of being illegal immigrants.
What began as demonstrations soon descended into violence—major highways were shut down, police vehicles were pelted with large rocks, and city streets were strewn with burning vehicles during the day, while looters stormed shops under the cover of night.
Tensions boiled over when Trump bypassed California Governor Gavin Newsom and deployed thousands of National Guard troops to regain control, comparing the turmoil to the 2020 anti-police protests that erupted after George Floyd was killed by former Minneapolis officer Derek Chauvin.
Mayhem Continues in LA
Los Angeles Police Chief Jim McDonnell said that "unlawful and dangerous behavior" have escalated since Saturday. According to the Los Angeles Times, this surge in unrest led to 27 arrests on Saturday, 40 on Sunday, and 114 on Monday.
"The curfew is a necessary measure to protect lives and safeguard property following several consecutive days of growing unrest throughout the city," McDonnell said.
The situation has grown so unstable that U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth deployed 700 Marines to Los Angeles to back up National Guard forces and help local law enforcement.
These federal troops are primarily tasked with protecting federal properties and providing backup to ICE agents.
Despite the heavy military presence, protesters have continued to demonstrate, with around 600 people trying — but failing — to take control of Freeway 101 near the Citizenship and Immigration Services building during a tense standoff with police on Tuesday afternoon.
Traffic was temporarily stopped before law enforcement successfully moved the protesters off the freeway.
Later, a large group of peaceful marchers flooded the downtown streets. Many drivers appeared to accept the traffic disruption, watching the events as they unfolded — until the situation escalated again, ending in a standoff where police used less-lethal munitions to break up the crowd.
