Governor Declares State Of Emergency For Los Angeles County

Gov. Gavin Newsom has declared a state of emergency for Los Angeles, activating the National Guard to assist city and county law enforcement after days of violent demonstrations.

The state approved the request late Saturday in order 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 8 p.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.”

City News Service reported Sunday morning at least two dozen National Guard 129th Rescue Wing HC-130J

vehicles passed through downtown Los Angeles early this morning and are expected to be part of the city’s response today to ongoing unrest and demonstrations.

In Pasadena, City Manager Steve Mermell declared a state of local emergency shortly after 7 p.m. and ordered a curfew to from 8 p.m. Saturday until 5:30 a.m. Sunday.

Mermell requested “that the Governor declare the City of Pasadena to be in a state of emergency” but did not request deployment of the National Guard in Pasadena.