Tension in Los Angeles as Police enforce curfew amid protests

Los Angeles police made several arrests in the city’s downtown area late Tuesday as groups of protesters defied an overnight curfew, following five days of demonstrations against former president Donald Trump’s intensified immigration enforcement.

Though many of the protests remained largely peaceful, acts of looting and vandalism have disrupted parts of the city. The unrest, which began on Friday, led Trump to deploy troops to Los Angeles despite opposition from the state governor.

As darkness fell on Tuesday, the protests turned tense. An hour into the citywide curfew, only a few protesters remained, and police moved in to make arrests while urging others to disperse. According to a post by the Los Angeles Police Department on X, “multiple groups continue to congregate on 1st St between Spring and Alameda,” within the curfew zone, prompting mass arrests.

By Tuesday evening, 25 people had been arrested for breaking the curfew, with numbers expected to rise as officers worked to clear the area, the Los Angeles Times reported.

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass explained that the curfew, which lasts from 8:00 pm to 6:00 am, was intended “to stop the vandalism, to stop the looting.” The order applies to a one-square-mile zone in downtown, except for residents, journalists, and emergency personnel.

One protester told AFP that the detention of migrants in a city known for its large immigrant and Latino communities was fueling the unrest. She said, “I think that obviously they’re doing it for safety. But I don’t think that part of the problem is the peaceful protests. It’s whatever else is happening on the other side that is inciting violence.”

Although thousands initially took to the streets, smaller groups later exploited the protests to set fires, smash windows, and loot businesses. Police said 23 businesses were looted on Monday night, and over 500 arrests have been made since the demonstrations began.

Protests against immigration arrests have also broken out in other US cities, including New York, Chicago, Atlanta, San Francisco, and Austin.

Trump has dispatched 4,000 National Guard troops to Los Angeles along with 700 active-duty Marines, insisting it’s necessary to regain control. However, local law enforcement believes the situation could be handled without military intervention. A Marine spokesperson confirmed their mission would involve guarding federal facilities and assisting federal officers during immigration enforcement.

Though some demonstrators acknowledged the soldiers’ presence with understanding, others criticized it. Lisa Orman, speaking to AFP, called the deployment “ridiculous,” saying, “I was here for the Dodger parade. It was 100 times bigger,” dismissing Trump’s military response as a political show.

The Pentagon stated the deployment would cost taxpayers $134 million, with photos showing Marines practicing riot control at Seal Beach’s Naval Weapons Station.

Meanwhile, Texas Governor Greg Abbott announced the deployment of the Texas National Guard to locations across his state in response to solidarity protests, warning that while peaceful protests are legal, any harm to people or property would result in arrests.

In contrast, Trump at Fort Bragg in North Carolina described the situation as a threat to national sovereignty, declaring, “We will not allow an American city to be invaded and conquered by a foreign enemy.”

California Governor Gavin Newsom condemned Trump’s actions, calling them the behavior of “a tyrant, not a president.” He has since filed for an injunction to block the deployment of troops for policing duties, highlighting that US law prohibits military involvement in civilian policing without a formal declaration of insurrection, a step Trump has hinted at but not taken.