Los Angeles County on Sunday night enacted a countywide curfew amid protests over the death of George Floyd.
Residents were alerted by a public safety alert on their mobile devices that the curfew had been put into place for 6 p.m. Sunday through 6 a.m. Monday. The alert arrived around 5:20 p.m. Sunday.
“In the midst of national chaos, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors proclaimed the existence of a local emergency: Civil unrest,” the announcement read. “The effects of public calamity caused disaster and extreme peril to the safety of people and property. Because of the dangers which often occur under cover of darkness and the difficulty to preserve public safety during these hours, a curfew was ordered, as allowed by Government Code Section 8634. At the direction of Sheriff Alex Villanueva, and until further notification, a county-wide curfew was imposed.”
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Residents have been ordered to stay off “public streets, avenues, boulevards, places, walkways, alleys, parks or any public areas or unimproved private realty within Los Angeles County.”
Exempt from the curfew are “peace officers, fire fighters and National Guard or other military personnel deployed to the area, individuals traveling to and from work, people experiencing homelessness and without access to a viable shelter, and individuals seeking medical treatment.”
Several cities also have set their own curfews. Residents were told to adhere to whichever curfew starts earlier. Anyone caught violating the order could be found guilty of a misdemeanor, punishable by a fine of up to $1,000 or by imprisonment fo up to six months, or both.
L.A. Mayor Eric Garcetti had previously announced a city curfew of 8 p.m. to 5:30 a.m.
As of Sunday afternoon, several curfews also were in effect in other cities in the L.A. area, according to local reports. They include Beverly Hills (4 p.m.-5:30 a.m.), Culver City (8 p.m.-5:30 a.m.), Pasadena (8 p.m.-5:30 a.m.), Santa Ana (10 p.m.-5:30 a.m.), Santa Monica (4 p.m.-5:30 a.m.), Torrance (8:30 p.m.-5:30 a.m.) and West Hollywood (8 p.m.-5:30 a.m.).
