Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti called on the California National Guard to patrol the streets of the nation’s second largest city on May 31 as protests intensified across the United States in response to the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis.
After Gov. Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency for Los Angeles county, the state National Guard was deployed Sunday to assist with the response to demonstrations, which have shifted to violent rioting in cities nationwide.
It marked a shift in response from the mayor who was previously dismissive of asking for aid from the National Guard.
“This is no longer a protest,” Garcetti told local media late Saturday shortly after imposing a curfew on the city from 8 p.m. to 5:30 a.m. “This is destruction. This is vandalism.”
“The vast majority of people taking to the streets are doing it peacefully, powerfully, and with reverence for the sacred cause they’re fighting for,” Garcetti said Saturday. “This curfew is in place to protect their safety—and the safety of all who live and work in our city.”
A curfew from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. was later imposed on Los Angeles county’s 10 million residents as protests across much of Southern California descended into violence. Protests across the United States flared in response to the treatment of Floyd, who died earlier this week in the custody of Minneapolis police.
The police officer who was seen kneeling on the man’s neck, Derek Chauvin, was arrested and charged with third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter on Friday. Chauvin and three other police officers involved in the arrest have since been fired.
Some 400 people were arrested on Saturday by the LAPD, who deployed batons, beanbags, and teargas in an attempt to quell the violence. National Guard troops meanwhile were seen stationed Sunday morning at LA’s Convention Center.
Newsom warned Sunday that local authorities were closely monitoring the movements of violent extremist groups, who may be exploiting the otherwise peaceful protests to further their own agendas.
Barr Condemns Violence
His comments came as Attorney General William Barr on Saturday expressed concern that the violence within these protests appears to have been “planned, organized, and driven” by groups of outside radicals and agitators who are exploiting the situation in order to achieve “their own separate and violent agenda.”Barr said many of these individuals who have traveled out of state are using Antifa-like tactics to promote violence.
Barr acknowledged the outrage felt by the national community, saying that accountability for Floyd’s death must be addressed, but emphasized that it should be addressed through the regular criminal justice system.
He stressed that the communities and streets “must have law and order” and it is the responsibility of local and state leaders to halt the violence, adding that the Justice Department will support all local efforts.
But the attorney general warned that “it is a federal crime to cross state lines or to use interstate facilities to incite or participate in violent rioting.”
“We will enforce these laws,” he said.
