Los Angeles downtown streets have yet to regain calm as curfew continues to be in effect. What initially started as the “No Kings Day” parade in downtown over the weekend turned into a protest that saw clashes between police and civilians. Simultaneously, dozens of individuals engaged in looting and vandalism at a chain store, resulting in significant losses for the store owners.
In the early hours of Monday (16th), at 4:25 am, the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) received a distress call reporting a large group of rioters breaking into an Autozone store, a car parts supplier located in South Los Angeles. These rioters smashed windows, tore down metal fences, and swiftly looted goods from the store.
Reports circulating online estimate that the rioters numbered in the tens, possibly even approximately a hundred. A police officer in Los Angeles informed a reporter from Dajiyuan that the exact number of participants could not be confirmed initially, with the police first notified of “20 to 25 individuals.” “We are in the process of apprehending the suspects involved,” the officer stated.
This incident is not an isolated one. Since violent upheavals against the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency erupted in Los Angeles on the 6th of this month, cases of looting and vandalism targeting businesses have been on the rise. On the 9th alone, multiple businesses in downtown were looted, including prominent stores like Apple, Adidas, CVS pharmacy, and several jewelry stores.
Riots have been accompanied by reports of protesters assaulting police officers, slashing tires, damaging building exteriors, spray-painting anti-ICE slogans on federal facilities’ walls, vandalizing cars, setting vehicles ablaze, and obstructing roads leading to traffic paralysis.
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass announced on Monday that the city would continue the curfew, with revised timings from 10 pm to 6 am the following day.
Meanwhile, the federal office building in downtown Los Angeles remains closed on Monday. All appointments related to immigration interviews, fingerprinting, immigration courts, and others have been put on hold.
According to the latest update on the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) website, due to facility issues, the office located at 300 North Los Angeles Street will continue to remain closed until the 24th of this month. Applicants affected by the suspension of their scheduled immigration officer interviews will be promptly provided with alternative appointment times through the USCIS system.
The LAPD emphasized in a recent statement that they are maintaining a full tactical alert. As of the 7th, the police have arrested 575 individuals linked to protest activities, including those violating the curfew, assaulting officers, resisting arrest, obstructing police enforcement, and engaging in looting. Federal and local prosecutors are intensifying efforts to prosecute perpetrators of offenses like assaulting officers, theft, and vandalism.
Additionally, since the 8th, 12 police officers have been injured during protest activities, with three officers sustaining injuries during enforcement operations on Saturday (14th).
On the previous Saturday (14th), organized demonstrations under the “No Kings Day” banner erupted in Los Angeles once again. Police reported that protesters continuously hurled concrete, rocks, bottles, and commercial fireworks at law enforcement, leading to road closures in the vicinity. Tear gas was deployed by the police towards the protesters, along with dispersal orders.
Regarding the protests against ICE enforcement seen in Los Angeles and other areas, U.S. President Trump issued a statement on Sunday night (15th), directing ICE to expand deportation operations in Democratic-controlled cities, calling it the “largest scale illegal immigrant expulsion in history.” Trump specifically targeted Los Angeles, Chicago, and New York for enhanced enforcement.
Due to the ongoing unrest, the curfew in Los Angeles will remain in effect.
The latest curfew hours are from 10 pm to 6 am the following morning. The curfew zone encompasses an area between the 5, 10, and 110 freeways. Exempt individuals in the curfew area include residents, essential workers, and those seeking medical treatment, with others required to avoid the area during the specified hours.