LOS ANGELES (CNS) - Gov. Gavin Newsom has declared a state of emergency for Los Angeles, activating the National Guard to assist city and county police after days of violent demonstrations.
The state approved the request late Saturday to deploy the National Guard to help curb violent protests sparked by the killing by police of George Floyd in Minneapolis. Floyd died Monday.
Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti made the request less than an hour after he expanded a curfew, first set for downtown, to the entire city, from 8p.m. Saturday to 5:30 a.m. Sunday.
The governor's Saturday night declaration stated, “I find that local authority is inadequate to address the threat posed by the civil unrest within Los Angeles County and the City of Los Angeles.''
A law enforcement source told the Los Angeles Times the Guard had been deployed and would be on the streets of Los Angeles by midnight Saturday.