The City of West Hollywood has lifted its controversial curfew, effective immediately.
The city first implemented a curfew this past Saturday requiring residents and visitors in West Hollywood to stay at home and businesses to close from 8 p.m. until sunrise. The curfew was moved to 6 p.m. on Sunday and then 4 p.m. on Monday and Tuesday. On Wednesday the curfew was moved to 6 p.m. again, and then 9 p.m.
The curfew was issued by the city manager as an emergency executive order in response to looting and vandalism that occurred in Los Angeles and other nearby cities during and after the George Floyd protests.
A number of West Hollywood residents criticized it, saying it was a violation of the First Amendment right for people to peaceably assemble and petition the government for redress of grievances. Some suggested that moving the curfew to 4 p.m. on Monday was prompted by plans for a demonstration on Santa Monica Boulevard at Robertson at that hour. That demonstration didn’t take place.
The American Civil Liberties Union on Tuesday sent a letter to Kathryn Barger, chair of the L.A. County Board of Supervisors, asking that a county curfew be rescinded. Los Angeles County announced today that there will be no curfew tonight, and Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti made a similar announcement.
L.A. County Sheriff Alex Villanueva today announced that Sheriff’s deputies would not be enforcing any curfews, citing “current situational awareness and the recent pattern of peaceful actions by protesters.”
Recent protests, including a march through West Hollywood on Santa Monica Boulevard on Wednesday, were mostly peaceful. There have been no reports of violence and break-ins related to the West Hollywood march.
Groups have assembled across the country and around West Hollywood to protest the death in Minneapolis on May 25 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.
Smart move by the city of West Hollywood.The curfew at 4 PM prevented legitimate activity such as grocery shopping,laundry cleaning,etc. I can understand a curfew at 10 PM to prevent looting as it is dark and hard to see illegal activity,but a curfew in broad daylight just wasn’t needed in West Hollywood.
The curfew was ridiculous, but effective. I hope the powers that be don’t decide to go back to letting looters have free reign over our cities.
That’s nice. When do the barriers come down? Stil can’t go West on SMB past La Cienega.
My car was spray painted two days ago. I have zero faith in WH leadership. Hoping a decent normal person will run for city council…..I will give one million of my own money to stop the madness.
That’s nice. When do the barriers come down?