Curfew imposed in Los Angeles

Amid intensifying protests and incidents of nighttime violence, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass on Tuesday imposed an overnight curfew in parts of downtown, while United States President Donald Trump announced the deployment of an additional 2,000 National Guard troops and Marines to the city.

Mayor Karen Bass has imposed an overnight curfew from 8 pm Tuesday to 6 am Wednesday in a 1-square-mile section of downtown Los Angeles. The area has seen ongoing protests since Friday. Bass declared a local emergency, saying: “We reached a tipping point” after 23 businesses were looted.

President Donald Trump has ordered an additional 2,000 National Guard personnel and 700 Marines to Los Angeles, doubling down on military presence despite opposition from California Governor Gavin Newsom and local officials. Police officials say the influx of troops complicates logistical handling of protests.

California Governor Gavin Newsom said President Donald Trump is “pulling a military dragnet” across Los Angeles during a brief public address on Tuesday. Newsom said Trump’s immigration crackdown has gone well beyond arresting criminals and that “dishwashers, gardeners, day labourers and seamstresses” are among those being detained. He said Trump’s decision to deploy the California National Guard without his support should be a warning to other states. “California may be first — but it clearly won’t end here,” Newsom said.

Monday’s protests were largely peaceful, with thousands gathering at City Hall and several hundred demonstrating outside a federal detention facility. Guard troops were seen outside the centre on Tuesday morning, but no Marines were visibly deployed yet.

In a fiery speech at Fort Bragg, Trump described LA protesters as “animals” and “a foreign enemy,” and said he would "liberate Los Angeles and make it free, clean, and safe again." The speech was originally intended to commemorate the 250th anniversary of the US Army.

Trump left open the possibility of invoking the Insurrection Act, one of the most extreme emergency powers available to the president that allows them to deploy military forces within US borders in cases of rebellion or extreme unrest.

Trump also announced plans to restore the Confederate-linked names of seven US military bases that were renamed under the Biden administration. Bases to be renamed include Fort Hood, Fort Gordon, Fort Rucker, and others.

The unrest in Los Angeles began following intensified federal immigration enforcement raids. Demonstrations turned violent over the weekend, with protesters blocking highways and torching vehicles. Officials say the protests remain concentrated in a few blocks of downtown LA, a city of four million.

(With inputs from agencies)