LA protests: Masked looters rampage Apple stores, decamp with iPhones as unrest escalates | VIDEO
The unrest follows a series of immigration raids launched by the Trump administration on Friday, triggering days of demonstrations across the city.
As protests against immigration raids intensified in Los Angeles, a mob of masked looters stormed several stores, including an Apple Store, smashing windows and phones, devices and merchandise.
Other retail outlets such as Adidas, pharmacies, marijuana dispensaries, and jewellery shops were also targeted.
The unrest follows a series of immigration raids launched by the Trump administration on Friday, triggering days of demonstrations across the city. Videos circulating on social media show looters ransacking stores and spray-painting graffiti on buildings.
Police have arrested multiple individuals in connection with the violence. Officer Chris Miller of the Los Angeles Police Department confirmed that one woman was arrested at the scene of the Apple Store burglary.
Curfew imposed to curb unrest
In response to the escalating situation, Mayor Karen Bass declared a local emergency and imposed a curfew from 8 pm Tuesday to 6 am Wednesday. The curfew applies to a one-square-mile (2.59 sq km) area of downtown Los Angeles, where much of the vandalism and looting has occurred. The city itself spans about 500 square miles (2,295 sq km).
“This reached a tipping point,” Mayor Bass said during a press conference, citing the looting of 23 businesses.
According to Police Chief Jim McDonnell, the curfew exempts local residents, homeless individuals, accredited media, and emergency personnel. He added that “unlawful and dangerous behaviour” has been escalating since Saturday.
Trump warns of liberating LA
President Donald Trump, speaking at Fort Bragg on Tuesday during an event marking the 250th anniversary of the U.S. Army, used the occasion to deliver his most forceful remarks yet against protesters in Los Angeles. He referred to the demonstrators as “animals” and “a foreign enemy” while defending his decision to deploy the military in response to opposition against his immigration enforcement raids.
Trump also used the speech to repeat false claims about the 2020 election being rigged and to criticize former President Joe Biden, turning what was expected to be a commemorative address into a politically charged attack.