L.A. Protests Rage On After Curfew Remains in Place for a Second Night

Protests in Los Angeles rage on, after the downtown curfew was declared for the second night in a row on Wednesday. L.A. Mayor Karen Bass said the measure was put in place “to stop bad actors who are taking advantage of the President's chaotic escalation.” The L.A. Police Department (LAPD) provided further details, publishing a map highlighting the area to which the restrictions apply, covering a portion of the city’s downtown district.

Police on horseback dispersed crowds in L.A. before the curfew came into effect at 8 p.m. local time on Wednesday evening. (The curfew lifts at 6 a.m.) An estimated 400 arrests and detentions have taken place so far amid the ongoing protests in the southern Californian city.

Hundreds of protesters marched on L.A. City Hall on Wednesday evening. What began as a peaceful demonstration reportedly turned violent, as police used less-lethal munitions and horses to disperse crowds, with many protesters fleeing into nearby Grand Park. LAPD reported that 203 arrests had been made for failure to disperse, and 17 additional arrests for curfew violations. Furthermore, three protesters were arrested for possession of a firearm, and one arrest was made for assault with a deadly weapon on a police officer.

Mayor Bass said in a press conference that “if there are raids that continue, if there are soldiers marching up and down our streets, I would imagine that the curfew will continue.”

Joined by more than 30 leaders of Californian cities, Bass once again criticized the immigration raids ordered by the Trump Administration.

“Mayors across the L.A. region and the country have spoken out unequivocally against these reckless raids and the Trump Administration’s chaotic escalation here in Los Angeles,” Bass said, adding that the city is stuck in “no man’s land,” not knowing when the immigration policies will end.

Read More: Trump Sparks Backlash as National Guard Arrives in L.A. on His Orders to Quell Immigration Protests: ‘Purposefully Inflammatory’

Protests started in Los Angeles on Friday, as locals demonstrated against President Donald Trump’s immigration policies, his Administration’s push to ramp up deportations, and raids conducted by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

The protests turned violent, with reports of vandalism and looting.

Over the weekend, Trump deployed the National Guard in response to the protests, he did so without a request being made by California Gov. Gavin Newsom. In fact, Newsom and Bass have both been vocal in their disapproval over Trump’s decision to bypass them and call in the National Guard. Trump has since ordered marines to quell the protests, also.

The U.S. Northern Command said on Wednesday that Marines have completed necessary training and would be deployed within the following 48 hours.

When National Guard troops started arriving in L.A. on Sunday morning, Newsom said: “Trump is sending 2,000 National Guard troops into L.A. County—not to meet an unmet need, but to manufacture a crisis. He’s hoping for chaos so he can justify more crackdowns, more fear, more control.” Newsom urged Californians to “never use violence” and “stay peaceful.”

Newsom has since called the added deployment of the marines "a blatant abuse of power," maintaining that Pete Hegseth, the Secretary of Defense, is "illegally deploying them onto American streets so Trump can have a talking point at his parade this weekend."

A federal judge is due to hold a hearing on Thursday over California’s request to block the Trump Administration from using troops in Los Angeles. The hearing comes after an emergency motion for a temporary restraining order filed Tuesday by Newsom was denied.

Read More: How AI Is Being Used to Spread Misinformation—and Counter It—During the L.A. Protests

Tensions continue to rise between Gov. Newsom and President Trump

Newsom has continued to criticise Trump’s use of the state’s National Guard, saying the President is pulling personnel from other crucial services and inflaming the situation by mobilizing the military.

“The Ranch Fire in San Bernardino is 4,000 acres and growing. Meanwhile, 5 of California’s 14 National Guard fire crews are understaffed… because Trump deployed them for a political stunt in L.A.. This isn’t just illegal. It’s dangerous,” Newsom said.

During an appearance on the On Democracy with FPWellman podcast, Newsom again criticized the President’s actions. “He [Trump] has no stated purpose for them except to exercise a propaganda ploy and to politicize our military,” he said, adding that Trump is trying to impose “a mindset of militarization, power, dominance, and control—not the rule of law.”

On Thursday morning, Trump doubled down on his decision to bypass Newsom and send troops into L.A. "Los Angeles was safe and sound for the last two nights. Our great National Guard, with a little help from the Marines, put the L.A. Police in a position to effectively do their job. They all worked well together, but without the military, Los Angeles would be a crime scene like we haven’t seen in years," he said, claiming that Newsom “had totally lost control of the situation.”

“ He should be saying THANK YOU for saving his ass, instead of trying to justify his mistakes and incompetence!” Trump concluded.

Meanwhile, Newsom addressed Californians, and Americans as a whole, in an impassioned speech on Tuesday night.

“What’s happening right now is very different than anything we’ve seen before… This isn’t just about protests here in Los Angeles. When Donald Trump sought blanket authority to commandeer the National Guard, he made that order apply to every state in this nation,” Newsom said.

The Governor also maintained that Trump’s deployment of the National Guard and the subsequent introduction of marines was illegal. “California may be first, but it clearly will not end here. Other states are next. Democracy is next,” he warned.

Read More: Greg Abbott Orders National Guard to Deploy in Texas as Protests Spread Across U.S. Cities

Protests spread beyond L.A.

Meanwhile, the protests have now far surpassed L.A. and have spread to other U.S. cities. As of Thursday morning, protests have reportedly taken place in 37 different cities in the U.S., across 21 states.

The city of Spokane in Washington state was put under curfew at 9:30 p.m. local time on Wednesday after a reported 1,000 protesters took part in demonstrations and 30 people were arrested.

In Chicago, thousands of protesters congregated in the downtown area as part of anti-deportation protests on Tuesday. Police said that protests were largely peaceful, with a few pockets of the demonstrations turning violent. A car also drove through crowds during Tuesday’s protests, leaving a woman with a broken arm and injured face.