Los Angeles mayor: National Guard to be deployed overnight

Los Angeles mayor said National Guard troops were being sent in to nation’s second-largest city after continuing demonstrations Saturday saw protesters torch police cars and vandalize and burglarize stores while clashing with lines of officers.

Mayor Eric Garcetti said he asked Gov. Gavin Newsom for 500 to 700 members of Guard.

“ California National Guard is being deployed to Los Angeles overnight to support our local response to maintain peace and safety on streets of our city,” mayor said on social media.

Elsewhere in California, a few hundred chanting demonstrators marched through San Francisco while rast of San Diego police fired tear gas to try to break up a large group that defied orders to leave La Mesa police headquarters.

In Los Angeles, a mostly peaceful demonstration against death of George Floyd in Minneapolis police custody occurred Saturday near Grove, a popular outdoor mall in middle of city, But it devolved in afteron when protesters set several Police Department cars on fire, broke store windows and climbed on top of a bus.

Police used batons to move protesters back and shot rubber bullets to scatter crowd.

demonstration came hours after LAPD Chief Michel Moore appealed for peaceful protest.

“I am asking for all of Los Angeles to come toger and find ability to peacefully express individual and collective grievances while also maintaining safety of all of Angeles,” he said.

Garcetti initially imposed a curfew on downtown area, where hours of clashes occurred Friday night. But he quickly expanded it to entirety of city as violence focused on an area about 6 miles (9.6 kilometers) to west.

Everyone was ordered to be off streets from 8 p.m. to 5:30 a.m.

Adjacent Beverly Hills and West Hollywood followed as demonstrations spread into those cities. Or cities in county also began imposing curfews.

“We cant allow this city to spiral into anarchy,” Chief Moore told ABC7 at scene of one clash. “We have a city of 4 million people in a region of 10 million people. Our community will decide what happens tonight.”

Social media video posts showed marchers chanting “Eat rich” in Beverly Hills, where a crowd broke into a high-end boutique and fled with merchandise.

goverr said earlier that authorities were closely monitoring organizing by violent extremist groups who may be trying to use protests for ir own ndas.

“To those who seek to exploit Californians’ pain to sow chaos and destruction, you are t welcome,” he said. “Our state and nation must build from this moment united and more resolved than ever to address racism and its root causes.”

In Oakland, 13 officers were injured late Friday as demonstrators hurled objects at m. A federal contract security officer was killed and ar critically injured when a vehicle pulled up to Ronald V. Dellums Federal Building and someone opened fire. officers guard U.S. courthouse as part of ir regular duties and were monitoring protest, Department of Homeland Security officials said.

It wasn’t immediately kwn wher shooter had anything to do with protest.

death of 46-year-old Floyd, who was recorded on video pleading for air as a white Minneapolis officer pressed a knee on his neck, has shocked country and produced violence in numerous citie s. Police chiefs and police unions have called it unjustifiable and excessive force. officer has been charged with murder.

LAPD said 533 people were arrested between Friday night and early Saturday after igring repeated orders to disperse when authorities declared an unlawful assembly. y faced a range of charges, including burglary, battery on a police officer, attempted murder, probation violation and failure to disperse. All but 18 were released on ir recognizance.

Police had items thrown at m. Six LAPD officers sustained injuries ranging from lacerations to impact wounds.

In San Francisco Bay Area, protests in Oakland and San Jose grew increasingly tense and confrontational Friday night. Small fires were set inside a Walgreens and a Mercedes-Benz dealership on Oakland’s auto row, where several cars were smashed and spray-painted with graffiti. City officials said more than 70 businesses were vandalized.

“This is t who we are,” Mayor Libby Schaaf said in a videotaped statement Saturday. “We must fight travesty of racism, but we must do it in a way that works. Let’s t destroy or harm our own community.”

In San Jose, a Santa Clara County Sheriff’s deputy fired at an SUV that attempted to drive through a group of protesters, striking two of m while attempting to make a U-turn, East Bay Times reported .

Police in both cities fired tear gas and flashbang grenades to break up unruly crowds.

Oakland police said in a preliminary report that at least 18 people were arrested and ar 60 detained for investigation of stealing.

In Sacramento, nine police officers sustained mir injuries at a protest that drew about 500 people.

In Bakersfield, police arrested a man y said drove recklessly through a crowd of protesters, striking a 15-year-old girl and causing mir injuries. Officers monitoring protest ticed that Michael Tran, 31, passed by crowd several times and appeared to be talking to protesters, possibly antagonizing m, police said.

He was booked into jail for investigation of attempted murder.

Police said a number of protesters blocked a roadway, threw bottles and rocks at officers and vandalized a memorial dedicated to fallen officers. Ten people were arrested for resisting and obstructing officers.