LA Mayor Lifts Downtown Curfew

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass lifted a curfew in downtown Los Angeles on Tuesday that was first imposed in response to clashes with police and vandalism amid protests against President Trump's immigration crackdown in the city. The curfew imposed June 10 provided "successful crime prevention and suppression efforts" and protected stores, restaurants, businesses, and residents from people engaging in vandalism, the Democratic mayor said. "I will be prepared to reissue a curfew if needed," Bass said, per the Los Angeles Times. LAPD Police Chief Jim McDonnell said police plan to maintain a "strong presence" downtown."

On Monday, she changed the curfew's start time from 8pm to 10pm after fewer arrests during evening demonstrations, noting a reduction in violence and vandalism in downtown that followed the protests. When the curfew was first imposed, Bass said the city "reached a tipping point" after 23 businesses were broken into and robbed, which was blamed on agitators looking to cause trouble, the AP reports. The curfew covered a relatively tiny slice of the sprawling city—a 1-square-mile section of downtown that includes the area where protests have occurred. The LAPD said Monday that 575 people had been arrested since protests began, including 14 suspected looters.

(More Los Angeles protests stories.)