Los Angeles Mobilizes National Guard to Quell Violence, Looting

A police officer aims a nonlethal weapon as protesters raise their hands during demonstrations in the aftermath of George Floyd’s death in Santa Monica, Calif., on May 31, 2020. Mario Tama/Getty Images

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.