West Hollywood City Manager Paul Arevalo has declared a curfew, ordering residents and visitors in West Hollywood to stay at home and businesses to close from 8 p.m. until sunrise. People are allowed to drive to work. The curfew will be in effect until Arevalo announces the lifting of it, which means it could continue through the weekend.
The curfew comes as thousands of people in the Fairfax District and West Hollywood have taken to the streets to protest the death of George Floyd and other acts of violence against African-Americans by law enforcement officers. Floyd died on Monday after an altercation in Minneapolis with a police officer who kneeled on his neck while Floyd, who was handcuffed, screamed that he couldn’t breathe. Floyd had been arrested for allegedly trying to use a counterfeit $20 bill to make a purchase at a deli. A video of the incident went viral and has sparked protests across the nation. Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti has declared a similar curfew as have the mayors of Beverly Hills, Culver City, Glendale, and Pasadena.
The demonstrations in and around West Hollywood were mostly peaceful, although multiple businesses were vandalized and some looted, according to Capt. Edward Ramirez of the West Hollywood Heriff’s Ststion. “We have made almost 30 arrests for burglary, vandalism, and curfew violations. There have been no structure fires,” Ramirez said. “There are no injuries to deputy personnel and no patrol vehicles were damaged. We have additional deputy personnel from the Sheriff’s Department to supplement our patrol function. We are committed to protecting our West Hollywood community.”
The protests became more violent in some instances outside of WeHo and there has been looting of many stores on Melrose Avenue and Fairfax Avenue by people taking advantage of the fact that law enforcement officers had to focus on the protests. The Tony-K shoe store on Melrose near North Stanley Avenue was set on fire. At a massive rally on Third Street at Fairfax near the Beverly Grove shopping center, a Los Angeles Police Department car was set on fire, sending thick clouds of smoke into the air. Nearby demonstrators had taken over a Metro bus. It was marked with slogans like ACAB, which stands for “all cops are bastards,” and “black lives matter.” Young demonstrators stood on top of the bus waving signs. Demonstrators also stood on top of and kicked the sides of another burned LAPD vehicle on Fairfax Avenue at Beverly Boulevard.
On Third Street, Los Angeles Police Officers fired riot guns loaded with rubber bullets in an effort to push demonstrators back. At one point they marched into a parking lot on Third Street just west of Mendocino Farms to force the force demonstrators to leave. The officers were aggressive. One armed police office knocked this writer to the ground and kicked him in the chest while the writer was trying to photograph the officers advancing on those in the parking lot. The demonstrators in the parking lot held signs and chanted but didn’t display any violent action. It was unclear why the demonstrators were forced to leave.
The demonstrators also marked a lot of storefronts with graffiti, particularly on La Cienega and Beverly boulevards.
A majority of those participating in the rallies and marches appeared to be in their early 30s or younger. And a majority appeared to be Caucasian, with some of those carrying signs attacking “white supremacy.” “White supremacy is the virus. #blacklives matter” read one sign held by a young woman sitting in Sal Guariello Park.
Some of the demonstrators also carried signs criticizing Donald Trump. One young man held a sign saying “Jackie Lacy is a fraud,” which was referring to the L.A. County District Attorney, an African-American woman who has been criticized for not vigorously pursuing a case against Ed Buck, the white West Hollywood resident in whose apartment two black men have died of drug overdoses. Lacey also has been criticized for what some see as a reluctance to prosecute law enforcement officers for alleged crimes.
To your statement Steve. It can’t get anymore worse and is already A LOT worse Steve. Socio-Economic instability, 50+million Americans without jobs or who have no foreseeable income and millions more people who are not accounted for because shutdowns. Combine that with a most certain economic collapse of states and cities, rent instability in a high rent inflated rental market in California, a food insecure population on the brink of starvation and based on LA Food Bank says 80% of families in Los Angeles are without food nutrition and served 250,000 + people. Now add that with people facing eviction… Read more »
Nice coverage, Hank! Like the old days?
Garcetti did a terrible job. Such a passive response ensured looting and vandalism.
I grew up in downtown Detroit so I have seen a lot of riots and social unrest. I’m not used to it, but I expected it across America “any time now”. It is inevitable in America when there is injustice. Add to that the frustration of people being basically on “home arrest” due to a pandemic, uncertainty about the future, unemployment similar to the Great Depression, abusive law enforcement and lack of government leadership and it boils up until the people have had enough. It’s the perfect storm. I strongly believe in protesting peacefully. I have lost count of the… Read more »
Why does violent protests and crime always have to find its way into and around West Hollywood! Whether via Downtown Los Angeles or Hollywood that seems to bring violent outbursts, theft, rage, retaliation, property damage, fights, broken glass and burned down buildings and businesses in ruins! Why does this city and surrounding communities of Melrose LaCienega and Beverly and Beverly Hills have to be the epicenter of people who have bring our neighborhood or surrounding area to shambles and always deface and commit robberies and break into residences, businesses and cars! Just last month in broad day light 4 people… Read more »
If nothing else, West Hollywood is physically located halfway between Downtown and the beach, so there’s that…And as a resident, I really don’t see us as “victims” when violence touches down here. We are so blessed not to be affected the way communities of color are EVERY SINGLE DAY. Stay grateful and stay safe – it could be a LOT worse.
Steve, respectfully I disagree with your comment. I am speaking about individuals burning cars, burning buildings and destroying businesses, looting, and vandalizing and destroying people’s livelihoods who should not be punished for actions of an officer in Minneapolis. This has nothing to do with a dialogue but everything to do with destroying things and inciting riots and throwing bricks at peoples heads and Molotov cocktails! Yes Steve, Things are already A LOT worse—what are you saying? This is not a day in petty crime, it’s now national medical crisis national economic crisis and national social unrest and violence, it’s as… Read more »
Yes Steve in my opinion, it is A LOT worse! A national and international health crisis that had changed the scope of peoples lives within 2 months. Now combine with a certain recession or an probably an economic collapse, people losing jobs, losing their livelihoods, losing their homes and rentals and don’t have money or food to eat to feed their families! Now Combine that with national civil unrest and incitement of riots or looting and burning down businesses across the US with Molotov cocktails and locally from Downtown,Melrose Fairfax, Hollywood, Santa Monica and Long Beach and Weho—all of this… Read more »
It can get anymore worse and is already A LOT worse Steve. Socio-Economic instability, 50+million Americans without jobs or who have no foreseeable income and millions more people who are not accounted for because shutdowns. Combine that with a most certain economic collapse of states and cities, rent instability in a high rent inflated rental market in California, a food insecure population on the brink of starvation and based on LA Food Bank says 80% of families in Los Angeles are without food nutrition and served 250,000 + people. Now add that with people facing eviction or will have no… Read more »
because there’s so much wealth associated with West Hollywood would be my guess, and all the starts that go to eat and play there encourage people to view it as a city of haves, which it pretty much has become over the years
We live in a two square mile city. When was the last time you saw a city assigned Sherriff walking a beat? We pay the LA County Sheriff a massive sum for what? I saw two people sitting in front of the Pali Hotel on Holloway smoking a meth bong in broad daylight last week. I saw another person doing the same at the park in Matthew Shepherd Square. We live in a town where Range Rovers and race cars speed around with no concern for safety or the environment and no traffic law enforcement. We live in a town… Read more »
There’s zero Police presence in West Hollywood.
One of the shops that was just robbed on Melrose. There was no police around. And hundreds of “protesters” robbing it. The shop was founded by survivors of the Holocaust.
The police are saying they were very limited on what they could do by the leaders of Los Angeles. Mayor Garcetti. Many were arrested last night because there’s no bail they couldn’t be held.
So basically It’s a Free-for-all. Many of us are very thankful that the second amendment. Because what are we gonna rely on, activist politicians?
And rich celebrities like Steve Carell are now bailing them out of jail.
Steve Carell just lost a fan.
Many people were arrested for just protesting. Thats who celebrities are posting bail for. NOT the looters.