Yesterday’s 4 p.m. curfew in West Hollywood also takes effect today.
The curfew order states: “No person shall be upon the public street, avenue, alley, park, or other public place or unimproved public realty.”
This curfew will remain in effect on a daily basis from 4 p.m. until sunrise until such time as it is lifted. Members of the media and people traveling to and from work are exempt, says a statement from the city. The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department will enforce the curfew.
Residents should remain at home; hotel guests should remain safely indoors; and businesses should close in time for employees and patrons to be off the streets by 4 p.m.
The Sheriff’s Department will block traffic during the curfew at the following locations:
- Sunset Blvd at Doheny Drive
- Sunset Blvd at Havenhurst Drive
- Holloway Drive at Santa Monica Blvd
- La Cienega Blvd at Santa Monica Blvd.
- Doheny Drive at Santa Monica Blvd.
- Melrose Ave at Doheny Drive
- Melrose Avene at La Cienega Blvd
- Beverly Blvd at San Vicente Blvd
- Robertson Blvd at Beverly Blvd
In its announcement of today’s curfew, the city stated: ” he City of West Hollywood passionately supports the fight against racial injustice and the dismantling of systemic racism. The City respects the rights of peaceful assembly and protest. The City decries violence directed against persons and other acts that threaten public safety. The City’s curfew order is aimed at reducing the potential for violence, damage, threats to public safety, and civil unrest.”
However, the curfew was criticized by a number of residents calling into the City Council’s emergency meeting at noon on Monday, when a demonstration had been planned for 4 p.m. on Santa Monica Boulevard at Robertson. Those callers said the early closing was an apparent effort to block protests from taking place in West Hollywood and was a violation of the First Amendment.
WEHOville has sent an email to the City Manager, the head of the West Hollywood Sheriff’s Station and Mayor Lindsey Horvath asking why 4 p.m. was set for the curfew. To date none have responded.
Groups have assembled across the country and around West Hollywood to protest the death in Minneapolis on June 1 of George Floyd, who stopped breathing after a police officer knelt on his neck for more than eight minutes while arresting him. 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.
The demonstrations have been largely peaceful. But in a number of occasions looters have followed the demonstrators and broken into and robbed businesses.
Thanks for the curfew starting at 4pm
I believe the early curfew at 4 PM is unrealistic.Because of the curfew,markets,banks,service stations and other essential businesses have to close early,denying residents reasonable access to these businesses. The businesses trying to reopen during the COVID-19 pandemic will have a harder time getting customers due to the early closures.
If the city thought the curfews will stop the protests,you got another thing coming. People are very motivated and energized due to this awful incident in Minneapolis.You would think in a city that promotes itself as “creative”,someone would come up with a better solution. Obviously,that person is no longer there.
I am a long time WEHO resident. Because of C-19 I’ve been telecommuting to work. My day starts at 8AM ending at 5PM. The 4:00 pm curfew is preventing me from getting out of the house, and do my grocery shopping. Stores don’t open early. I don’t drive. I need to buy food and get my prescriptions. Unless WEHO has a contract with stores and provides free grocery delivery, I am stuck at home 24/7 There should be a better way to aliviate this situation.
means nothing if not enforced.