Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass has announced a citywide curfew following a surge in chaos during the anti-ICE protests rocking the streets of L.A. The emergency curfew went into effect Tuesday at 8 p.m. and will remain in place until 6 a.m. Wednesday, impacting both local businesses and protest activity.
The announcement came just hours after demonstrations turned increasingly disruptive, with reports of looting and property damage circulating on social media and through local news outlets. Protesters took to the streets in response to a wave of ICE raids across California, which many activists have labeled as discriminatory and inhumane.
Curfew Amid Unrest
In her statement, Mayor Bass cited growing safety concerns and “a need to protect both protesters and property owners” as key reasons for the curfew. Law enforcement officials, including LAPD and National Guard units already deployed to the city, will enforce the curfew, and anyone found in violation may be subject to fines or arrest, Al Jazeera reported.
The Tension Behind the Movement
The protests are the result of weeks of mounting frustration over immigration enforcement tactics, with many demonstrators pointing to racial profiling and family separations as central grievances. Social media videos showed groups of people gathering peacefully, while other clips revealed smoke bombs, broken windows, and looted storefronts, especially in areas like Fairfax and Venice.
President Donald Trump weighed in on the situation earlier in the week, saying that California’s leaders had failed to contain the unrest. “These are not protestors. They are troublemakers and insurrectionists,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “Remember, NO MASKS!”