Night outings enacted in parts of downtown Los Angeles are effective in subduing violence and vandalism, Mayor Karen Bass said on Saturday, as Los Angeles residents continue to protest immigration attacks by federal agents.
Saturday’s “No Kings” protest was finally violent as a small group of protesters throw things at officials, but the mayor told NBC Los Angeles that law enforcement responded well to anxiety.
“(Saturday) was a huge success,” she said. “In the end, there are a few people who are causing problems. But I think the police department was able to take control of it quickly.”
Bass said the LAPD had issued a dispersed order to remove violent protesters from downtown LA, but she was watching the scene unfolding from a bird’s eye view.
“I was on a helicopter with the police chief. I went to all 15 locations to find out the level of protest,” she explained, adding that there was no federal or military presence in the protest area.
“I can say I didn’t see the Marines anywhere, but we were all over town,” Bass said.
She knows the curfew prevents businesses in downtown L.A. from running late into the night and having more economic opportunities, but the mayor said business owners are “very, very supportive” in the spirit of preventing more vandalism.
She also added that curfews have been increasingly effective since implementing nightly restrictions on Tuesday. 19 people were arrested Friday night after about 100 people were arrested for curfew violations earlier in the week.
But again, Bass repeats that she doesn’t know how long the curfew will remain, as she doesn’t know how long federal officials, including the military, will be in Los Angeles.
“Part of the challenge we’re dealing with here is absolute uncertainty,” Bass said. “I hope that some level of communication will be opened next week. Now everyone is working through rumors.”
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