Governor declares state of emergency in Los Angeles County amid protests

Governor Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency in Los Angeles County Friday night amid protests.

The California National Guard is being deployed to Los Angeles in response to large protests being held in the city, according to Mayor Eric Garcetti.

The California National Guard will be used to assist local response to the protests being held, and to maintain peace and safety on the streets.

Garcetti imposed a curfew for the city’s downtown section, saying everyone must be off the streets between 8 p.m. and 5:30 a.m.

Several police cars were torched Saturday as some protesters in the city ignored authorities’ call for peaceful demonstrations after a night of violence that saw windows smashed, stores robbed and fires set.

The California National Guard is being deployed to Los Angeles overnight to support our local response to maintain peace and safety on the streets of our city.

— MayorOfLA (@MayorOfLA) May 31, 2020

The mostly peaceful gathering near a popular outdoor mall devolved Saturday afternoon.

Protesters set fire to Los Angeles Police Department cars, broke windows and climbed on top of a bus. Police used flash-bang grenades to disperse protesters.