Los Angeles mayor lifts downtown curfew she imposed during protests
against immigration raids
[June 18, 2025]
By MICHAEL R. BLOOD and JAIMIE DING
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Downtown Los Angeles businesses hoped customers would
return quickly on Tuesday after Mayor Karen Bass lifted a curfew she had
imposed last week to prevent vandalism and break-ins during nighttime
protests against President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown.
The protests, which have been concentrated in a few blocks of downtown
where federal and local government buildings are, were in response to
President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown in the city and
subsequent deployment of the National Guard and Marines.
The curfew set in place June 10 provided “successful crime prevention
and suppression efforts" and protected stores, restaurants, businesses
and residents, the Democratic mayor said. It covered a relatively tiny
slice of the sprawling city.
Little Tokyo neighborhood hit hard
On Tuesday afternoon, the impact of days of protests could be seen in
the boarded-up windows lining the streets of Little Tokyo, a historical
Japanese American district right next to a federal detention building
still heavily guarded by military troops.
A steady stream of tourists stopped in the neighborhood to take photos
of baseball superstar Shohei Ohtani wearing Dodgers blue in a massive
mural on the side of a hotel.
Don Tahara, the owner of Far Bar, said businesses in the area have been
hit hard with vandalism and some break-ins.
On June 8, thousands of protesters took to the streets in response to
Trump’s deployment of the Guard, blocking off a major freeway as law
enforcement used tear gas, rubber bullets and flash bangs to control the
crowd. Photos captured several Waymo robotaxis set on fire.
A day later, police officers used flash bangs and shot projectiles as
they pushed protesters through Little Tokyo, where bystanders and
restaurant workers rushed to get out of their way. Some protesters set
off fireworks and threw water bottles at the officers, yelling, “Shame!”
But Tahara, a third-generation Japanese American immigrant, said he also
understands why the protests were necessary, seeing similarities between
the current administration's immigration raids and the internment of
Japanese Americans during World War II.
“The problems that Little Tokyo had 75 years ago was basically the
federal government coming in and imprisoning all of them in
concentration camps,” Tahara said. “They were uprooted from their homes
and businesses, their churches ... we're seeing a repeat of that.”
Since people assumed the curfew would still be in place Tuesday, Far Bar
has still had many cancellations of reservations and events. They
decided to open earlier for lunchtime in the past few days, but
employees have lost hours from their paychecks. Combined with the
lingering effects of the LA wildfires earlier this year, tariff-induced
price increases and other increased costs, it has been a challenging
climate for businesses to navigate, Tahara said.
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Jack Murillo, a Marine veteran, holds a sign in front of law
enforcement guarding a federal building on Tuesday, June 17, 2025,
in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)
On Monday, Bass trimmed back curfew hours from beginning at 8 p.m.
to 10 p.m. after a drop in arrests in the area. Bass faulted a
relatively small group of “bad actors who do not care about the
immigrant community,” a nod to thousands of protesters who exercised
their rights peacefully. Trump directed federal immigration
officials Sunday to prioritize deportations from Democratic-run
cities, a move that comes after a weekend of large protests all
across the country against his administration.
Cindy Reyes, head server at Rakkan Ramen, said they completely shut
down the shop for Saturday's protests and closed early on Sunday.
The curfew was especially difficult for their night-shift workers
because the ramen joint is usually open until midnight.
“Dinner shift makes the most money because we're the last restaurant
standing so people come to us in the end,” she said.
Historic Core of downtown LA also hurt
The Historic Core of downtown LA, further away from where the
protests have occurred and home to many nightclubs and bars, has
also suffered from break-ins. Many closed down for the duration of
the curfew because their core business happens in the evening.
Rhythm Room owner Vincent Vong said he has lost tens of thousands of
dollars from closing for a whole week, not just from the loss of
business but also to keep paying his employees.
“I have to schedule people to come in because I need to get them
paid somehow,” he said.
He wished there was more support from the city and deployment of law
enforcement resources to protecting the “most vulnerable areas,”
pointing out that his street has often been the target of vandalism
and theft during large demonstrations.
Even as the curfew is lifted, Vong said it will be difficult to
bring customers back to an area that still has boarded-up windows
and feels “apocalyptic.”
“I have to double down in showing that downtown LA is still a safe
place to go,” he said.
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