Blitz Bureau
NEW DELHI: A limited curfew came into effect in several areas of downtown Los Angeles, on June 10 night, following several nights of unrest triggered by the Trump administration’s immigration raids. The announcement was made by Mayor Karen Bass, who said the city had witnessed escalating violence, arson, and looting in the wake of federal enforcement actions.
The curfew will be enforced from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. and may continue for several days. However, Mayor Bass clarified that residents and people working in the area will be exempt. She said the decision was made in light of mounting tensions and the need to prevent further disorder.
Masked looters targeted several businesses, including an Apple Store, where they smashed windows and made away with electronic products. They also defaced the building with graffiti. Other businesses hit included Adidas outlets, pharmacies, marijuana dispensaries, and jewellery stores. Videos circulating online show widespread vandalism, with shelves emptied and storefronts damaged.
Law enforcement responded with arrests as the chaos intensified. The Los Angeles Police Department was stretched thin in the face of the unrest. Mayor Bass, addressing reporters, acknowledged the strain on local police but slammed federal interference, particularly the Trump administration’s decision to deploy military forces without state consent.
“People have asked me what the Marines are going to do when they get here. That’s a good question, I have no idea,” Bass said during her press conference.”The answer is not federal troops. The answer is to stop the raids,” he said.
Her remarks come after President Donald Trump announced the deployment of more than 4,000 National Guard troops and 700 Marines to California, a move that has been widely criticised by state officials. The President cited an “assault on peace and public order” and threatened to invoke the Insurrection Act, a rarely used federal law, to crack down on protesters.
California Governor Gavin Newsom responded sharply, saying Trump’s actions amount to an infringement on state sovereignty. “We didn’t have a problem until Trump got involved. This is a serious breach of state sovereignty — inflaming tensions while pulling resources from where they’re actually needed,” Newsom posted on X.