As downtown Los Angeles became a focal point for protests against federal immigration sweeps, the local government imposed a weeklong curfew that raised questions among residents.
The curfew, enacted by Mayor Karen Bass, extended from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. across a broad area, affecting over 90,000 residents. While protests remained concentrated near City Hall and a federal detention facility, South Park resident Teresa Y. Hillery expressed confusion over the heightened concerns from family members.
“What are you guys talking about?” asked Hillery, who has lived in the neighborhood for two decades. From her perspective, the situation felt distant despite the protests just blocks away.
The curfew zone encompassed a large area stretching from the 5 Freeway to the 110 Freeway and from the 10 Freeway to where the 110 and 5 merge, leaving only emergency personnel, residents, and local workers permitted within its boundaries.
Joseph Cohen May, another resident near the 7th Street Metro Center, criticized the curfew for being excessive.
“Putting aside whether the curfew was really necessary at all, it definitely felt unnecessarily wide of an area, and it didn’t feel like it didn’t need to be as long as it was,” he stated.
Hillery pointed out that while she valued the exemption for residents, there could have been alternative measures, such as cordoning off specific streets in proximity to the protests.
“I think it gets lost on a lot of people that people live downtown,” she remarked.
The mayor ultimately lifted the curfew on June 17, deeming it “largely successful in protecting stores, restaurants, businesses and residential communities from bad actors who do not care about the immigrant community.”
Between June 7, just before the curfew began, and June 16, the Los Angeles Police Department reported making over 570 arrests related to protest activities.
A survey conducted by the Downtown Los Angeles Residents Association revealed a strong desire among more than 350 residents and local business respondents for the curfew to be lifted or rolled back gradually.
“Ending the curfew sends a strong signal to the world that the city and people of downtown Los Angeles can live safely and in peace,” one respondent from the Historic Core asserted.
Many voiced concerns about the curfew’s adverse impact on the local economy and small businesses. In response to the curfew, various downtown restaurants adjusted their operating hours, but the diminished business continued to be a pressing issue.
Courtney Kaplan, managing partner at Camélia, a restaurant located in the Arts District, reflected on the situation, stating, “An 8 p.m. curfew really cuts into prime time for the restaurant.”
Kaplan estimated her restaurant had experienced a 60% to 70% decline in activity on a typical day.
If similar situations arise in the future, Kaplan emphasized the need for improved communication from city officials.
“We’re finding out these details at the same time that everyone else in the public is,” Kaplan said, noting that they were left monitoring the city webpage for updates.
In response to the complaints, the Mayor’s Office stated it utilized several communication channels, including social media and emergency alerts, to inform the public about the curfew, ensuring notifications were sent in “multiple languages.”
Nolan Marshall III, the CEO of the Social District, articulated the challenges faced by South Park businesses. He noted that while protecting businesses from looting is crucial, the economic ramifications of the curfew could also devastate area enterprises.
“Certainly we need to be intentional about protecting certain businesses in downtown from looting, but if the curfew causes as much damage in terms of loss of sales to those businesses that are impacted by the curfew, we really gotta be intentional about trying to balance those two things,” Marshall emphasized.
The Mayor’s Office acknowledged the feedback, revealing that over 300 individuals had registered for informational sessions aimed at assisting affected businesses.
Mayor Bass engaged with business owners in Little Tokyo, acknowledging ongoing recovery.
“I talked to the business owners, including the restaurant that I go to frequently, when I talked to them, business is still slow, but it’s getting back,” she stated.
One restaurant she visited reported a busy lunch hour, which Bass considered a positive sign of recovery.
To further support impacted businesses, the Mayor’s office initiated webinars focusing on legal services, “know-your-rights” information, and staffing assistance for downtown Los Angeles entrepreneurs.
image source from：laist
