Protests over police killing of George Floyd continue
By Sam Catanzaro
The City of Santa Monica has imposed a curfew as protests against the police killing of George Floyd continue.
The curfew will be in place from 8 p.m. Saturday to 5:30 a.m. Sunday, following a City of Los Angeles curfew. Emergency responders are exempt, as are those traveling to and from work or seeking or giving emergency care.
“The City of Santa Monica values peaceful protest as vital to our democracy,” the City said in a statement. “As a City, we grieve with the family of George Floyd, feel the anguish across our broader community, and commit ourselves to the healing process that must follow.”
Beverly Hills and Culver City have also put a curfew in place for Saturday night during the same hours.
On Friday night, during the third night of protests, 533 people were arrested in Downtown LA on charges such as suspicion of burglary, looting, attempted murder, battery on police officer and failure to disperse, according to the Los Angeles Police Department.
According to Garcetti, the National Guard will not be called.
The demonstrators are part of wave of marches happening around the nation to protest the death of George Floyd, a black man killed Monday when a Minneapolis police officer–Officer Derek Chauvin–pinned him to the ground with his knee, even after the Floyd said he was could not breathe.
