latimes--2020-05-29--Supreme Court weighs California's limits on church crowds during pandemic

The Supreme Court is set to decide on a religious freedom claim from a south San Diego County church that wants an exemption from California ’ s COVID-19 rules , which limit large gatherings for services .
Lawyers for the South Bay United Pentecostal Church in Chula Vista argue that the 1st Amendment ’ s protection of the “ free exercise ” of religion outweighs the state ’ s power to enforce a quarantine during a pandemic , at least when churches are subjected to stricter limits than other businesses or groups .
They said they had the support of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ California and a growing number of religious conservatives who contend the state ’ s restrictions on church services go too far .
“ A fundamental question that goes to the very heart of our constitutional legal order is whether and to what extent state and local officials may lawfully enforce categorical restrictions on public worship , ” they said , including “ fixed limits ” on the number of worshipers .
Lawyers for the state said the safety guidelines for churches and other places where people gather are changing , and they urged @ @ @ @ @ @ @ now .
The church and Bishop Arthur Hodges III sought a court order as a shield against enforcement , but lost before a federal judge in San Diego and by a 2-1 vote in the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals .
The appeals court upheld California ’ s rules in a brief decision on May 22 .
“ We ’ re dealing here with a highly contagious and often fatal disease for which there presently is no known cure , ” wrote Judge Barry Silverman , an appointee of President Clinton .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Collins , a new appointee of Trump ’ s , who noted that factories and warehouses were open and operating while churches were closed .
Last weekend , the church filed an emergency appeal and urged the justices to act quickly to open services for this Sunday , May 31 , the “ Christian holy day of Pentecost.
” Before the justices could look at the appeal , however , Gov .
Gavin Newsom issued new guidelines on Monday that will allow houses of worship to reopen , but with limits .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ must limit attendance to 25 % of building capacity or a maximum of 100 attendees , whichever is lower.
” The church filed a revised appeal on Tuesday and said the high court should free it from those restrictions .
Their “ sanctuary seats 600 persons , and each service normally brings in between 200 and 300 congregants , ” the church said .
“ Some of the larger houses of worship in California can seat 1,000 congregants or more .
But under California ’ s guidelines , plaintiffs will only be permitted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ explanation as to the justification for this arbitrary cap.
” “ In contrast , there is no percentage limitation for manufacturing and warehousing facilities — simply a social distancing requirement , ” the church ’ s lawyers added .
“ California has never explained why letting large numbers of people sit together indoors for eight hours at a factory or a school , but not for one hour worshiping , provides a ‘ real or substantial ’ benefit to curbing the COVID-19 pandemic , ” they wrote .
Justice Elena Kagan , who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ asked for a response from the state in the case of South Bay United Pentecostal vs. Newsom .
On Thursday evening , California state attorneys advised the court to dismiss the appeal .
“ Labor in manufacturing facilities , warehouses and offices does not typically involve large numbers of people singing or reading aloud together in the same place , in close proximity to one another , for an extended duration , ” the state ’ s lawyers said .
They noted that church gatherings in Sacramento , Seattle , Kentucky and South @ @ @ @ @ @ @ spread of the virus .
Under the new guidelines , the church may hold a worship service on Sunday , and it could accommodate more people by scheduling several services during the day , the state lawyers said .
It is highly unlikely “ that any court will conclude that the current policy , which allows them to hold in-person religious services subject to reasonable safety restrictions , violates their constitutional rights ” or discriminates against religion , they said .
A second , similar appeal came to the court Wednesday from Illinois @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said the state “ imposes a unique 10-person limit on religious worship services that is not imposed on customers or employees of ‘ big box ’ retail stores , liquor stores , restaurants , office buildings , warehouses , factories , or other businesses and activities which , like worship services , have been deemed ‘ essential ’ by Governor ( Jay ) Pritzker.
” Justice Brett M. Kavanaugh asked for a response from the state by late Thursday .
Lawyers for Illinois said the appeal should be dismissed because the governor ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Friday .
The church ’ s “ concern about the limitations on the size of their religious gatherings after that date is speculative , ” they said .

A sharply divided Supreme Court on Friday rejected a challenge to California’s limits on large church gatherings during the COVID-19 pandemic, dismissing an appeal brought by a San Diego-area church that argued state rules infringed on its religious freedom.
The justices by 5-4 vote said California could enforce its rules, at least for now. Chief Justice John G. Roberts joined the court’s four liberal justices in upholding the state’s rules.
“The precise question of when restrictions on particular social activities should be lifted during the pandemic is a dynamic and fact-intensive matter subject to reasonable disagreement. Our Constitution principally entrusts ‘the safety and the health of the people’ to the politically accountable officials of the states ‘to guard and protect,’” Roberts wrote.
Advertisement
Justice Brett M. Kavanaugh wrote a dissent, joined by Justices Clarence Thomas and Neil M. Gorsuch.
“California’s latest safety guidelines discriminate against places of worship and in favor of comparable secular businesses. Such discrimination violates the 1st Amendment,” he said.
“California already trusts its residents and any number of businesses to adhere to proper social distancing and hygiene practices,” he said. “The state cannot assume the worst when people go to worship but assume the best when people go to work or go about the rest of their daily lives in permitted social settings.”
Justice Samuel A. Alito also said he would have granted the church’s appeal.
The court’s decision may blunt a drive by religious conservatives to enlist judges to reopen churches and to free religious gatherings from state limits on indoor crowds.
Lawyers for the church argued that the 1st Amendment’s protection of the “free exercise” of religion meant the government could not shut down church services or limit their attendance, particularly if it was allowing businesses — from factories to grocery stores — to remain open.
Advertisement
President Trump took up their cause a week ago. He said churches and other houses of worship should be deemed “essential,” and he asserted he would “override the governors” if they failed to allow religious institutions to fully open.
The president does not have direct authority over a state’s quarantine measures, but federal judges could override a state’s regulations if they were deemed to be unconstitutional. And the Supreme Court, with two Trump appointees, Kavanaugh and Gorsuch, has shown an increasing interest in religious-liberty cases.
But the legal claims tied to the pandemic appear to have fallen short. Most judges have been reluctant to interfere with health and safety rules that aim to prevent the spread of the virus. And those rules are changing as states move to reopen.
Those changes may have been crucial in the outcome of the California case.
Late last week, lawyers for the South Bay United Pentecostal Church in Chula Vista filed an emergency appeal with the Supreme Court, seeking an order that would permit a church service on Sunday. They were contesting California’s “stay-at-home” regulations that prevented churches, theaters and other gathering places from opening their doors.
But earlier this week, Gov. Gavin Newsom issued new guidelines that will allow houses of worship to reopen, but with limits on their attendance. Under the new rules, churches and other faith centers may have no more than 100 people present at a time or occupy more than 25% of the capacity of their building, whichever is smaller.
Earlier Friday, the court unanimously rejected a second and similar appeal that challenged an Illinois regulation that limited churches to having 10 people at a time. But Gov. Jay Pritzker already had announced that the regulation would end on Friday.
Lawyers for the churches denounced what they called “11th-hour attempts by California and Illinois to moot” challenges to their laws, and they urged the justices to exempt them from the new restrictions on attendance.
“California is still violating plaintiff’s fundamental constitutional rights, and millions of Americans across the country are still having their constitutional rights trampled upon,” they said Friday.
The Chula Vista church and Bishop Arthur Hodges III first sought a court order on May 8 that would shield them from the state’s restrictions, but they lost before a federal judge in San Diego and by a 2-1 vote in the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals. The appeals court upheld California’s rules in a brief decision on May 22.
“We’re dealing here with a highly contagious and often fatal disease for which there presently is no known cure,” wrote Judge Barry Silverman, an appointee of President Clinton.
The dissent came from Judge Daniel P. Collins, a new appointee of Trump’s, who noted that factories and warehouses were open and operating while churches were closed.
In its appeal to the Supreme Court, the church urged the justices to act quickly to open services for this Sunday, the “Christian holy day of Pentecost.” It said the “sanctuary seats 600 persons, and each service normally brings in between 200 and 300 congregants. Some of the larger houses of worship in California can seat 1,000 congregants or more. But under California’s guidelines, plaintiffs will only be permitted to welcome 100 congregants, with no explanation as to the justification for this arbitrary cap.”
“In contrast, there is no percentage limitation for manufacturing and warehousing facilities — simply a social distancing requirement,” the church’s lawyers added. “California has never explained why letting large numbers of people sit together indoors for eight hours at a factory or a school, but not for one hour worshiping, provides a ‘real or substantial’ benefit to curbing the COVID-19 pandemic,” they wrote.
Attorneys for California advised the court to dismiss the appeal.
“Labor in manufacturing facilities, warehouses and offices does not typically involve large numbers of people singing or reading aloud together in the same place, in close proximity to one another, for an extended duration,” the state’s lawyers said. They noted that church gatherings in Sacramento, Seattle, Kentucky and South Korea have been blamed for the early spread of the virus.
Under the new guidelines, the church may hold a worship service on Sunday, and it could accommodate more people by scheduling several services during the day, the state lawyers said.


latimes--2020-05-28--California's coronavirus budget crisis leaves Newsom and lawmakers at odds

A sharp political and public policy rift emerged Thursday between Gov .
Gavin Newsom and his fellow Democrats in the California Legislature over how to navigate the bleak economic road ahead after a state Senate panel rejected more than half of the spending cuts in the $ 203.3-billion proposed budget he unveiled two weeks ago .
The alternative budget adopted by Senate Democrats differs from the governor ’ s proposal to address the state ’ s pandemic-generated deficit in several key ways .
It exceeds Newsom ’ s plan in its funding for K-12 schools , though it delays full @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lower costs for programs that help the state ’ s poorest residents .
And it employs a variety of cash management procedures , some first used during the Great Recession and criticized as gimmicks that allowed state services to stretch beyond their means .
But the centerpiece of the Senate plan is the refusal by legislators to adopt the governor ’ s $ 14-billion cut in state spending , most of it from schools .
Newsom would only abandon those cuts if new federal coronavirus assistance is provided by early July .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ making cuts of an equal value until at least October , embracing a more optimistic view about what will come from current discussions between Congress and the administration of President Trump .
Though most state lawmakers have downplayed any conflict , the Senate proposal presents Newsom with a significant test of his political leadership .
The budget he signed last summer , his first after being elected in 2018 , was the product of friendly conversations with legislative Democrats at the state Capitol over how best to divvy up that year ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the budget outlook is dire , and it could grow worse as a result of one of the fastest-growing and deepest economic chasms in state history .
“ I hope that the proposal and ideas that the Senate puts forward have a positive impact , particularly when it comes to addressing the budget shortfall in a manner that does not make conditions worse for our vulnerable California residents , ” state Sen. Holly Mitchell ( D-Los Angeles ) , the Senate ’ s budget chairwoman , said Thursday .
Representatives of the Newsom @ @ @ @ @ @ @ largely expressed the governor ’ s desire to work collaboratively with the Legislature in agreeing to a spending plan before June 15 , the first constitutional deadline for action .
H.D .
Palmer , the administration ’ s budget spokesman , said the effort to secure additional money from Washington is “ ongoing.
” It is unclear whether the Senate proposal will be embraced by the Assembly , which convened on Tuesday to consider Newsom ’ s budget plan .
A number of Democrats in the lower house used their public hearing to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he proposed in trying to erase a projected $ 54.3-billion deficit .
“ If you are aged , poor and disabled , this budget is devastating , ” Assemblyman Jim Wood ( D-Healdsburg ) said .
“ It hits those who can least afford it and who have the smallest voices.
” With funding for education often representing the largest share of state spending , the impacts to K-12 schools and college campuses could be severe .
Newsom ’ s budget would strip school spending to its legal minimum , resulting in a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and paired with the governor ’ s promise to build funding back up in the future .
Senate Democrats have called for spending $ 2.7 billion more on schools than proposed in Newsom ’ s budget .
And they would rein in his call for cuts to the University of California and California State University systems .
Representatives of prominent education groups said Thursday that they appreciate the Senate ’ s effort but warned no plan under consideration would head off what they described as a crippling blow to local schools .
They @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are to implement COVID-19 protections in the school year that begins in late summer .
“ Our schools can not safely reopen with the proposed cuts to public education , ” said Jeff Freitas , president of the California Federation of Teachers .
“ We must provide more funding to our schools , not less.
” By assuming that at least $ 14 billion in additional coronavirus relief funds will be provided by the federal government , the Senate budget plan also avoids other controversial cuts Newsom proposed .
That includes almost $ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from health and human services programs , including a rollback of recent efforts to increase the number of doctors who take patients in the Medi-Cal program and expand preschool and child-care programs .
Legislators also want to use more of California ’ s cash reserves .
And their budget takes a more optimistic view of the economy than Newsom in its calculation of how many Californians will qualify for and seek services through Medi-Cal and the state ’ s welfare assistance program , CalWorks — an assumption that would alone lower spending relative @ @ @ @ @ @ @ $ 3.6 billion .
Undoubtedly , other revenue-generating proposals will emerge in the state Capitol .
Two Democratic lawmakers offered new ideas Thursday to authorize a sports betting industry in California , which they said could bring in $ 200 million in tax revenue in the first year of operation and as much as $ 700 million per year once fully up and running .
And looming over all conversations about government funding is a November statewide ballot measure to loosen the limits on commercial property taxes , a controversial proposal that supporters @ @ @ @ @ @ @ year for schools and local government services .
If there is consensus on anything at this stage of budget discussions in Sacramento , it ’ s that the spending plan enacted before July 1 — the beginning of California ’ s fiscal year — is likely to have a short shelf life .
A key element of crafting the annual government spending guide is the tally of personal income tax revenue , usually paid by April 15 .
State officials extended this year ’ s deadline to July 15 to help taxpayers struggling @ @ @ @ @ @ @ collections are significantly better or worse than now expected , legislators will probably make modifications of the budget in August .

Gov. Gavin Newsom and state Senate President Pro Tem Toni Atkins (D-San Diego) during a visit to a local 211 center this year. Atkins and Senate Democrats have rejected some of the proposed cuts in Newsom’s budget plan for 2020-2021.
A sharp political and public policy rift emerged Thursday between Gov. Gavin Newsom and his fellow Democrats in the California Legislature over how to navigate the bleak economic road ahead after a state Senate panel rejected more than half of the spending cuts in the $203.3-billion proposed budget he unveiled two weeks ago.
The alternative budget adopted by Senate Democrats differs from the governor’s proposal to address the state’s pandemic-generated deficit in several key ways. It exceeds Newsom’s plan in its funding for K-12 schools, though it delays full payment of those funds.
It assumes lower costs for programs that help the state’s poorest residents. And it employs a variety of cash management procedures, some first used during the Great Recession and criticized as gimmicks that allowed state services to stretch beyond their means.
Advertisement
But the centerpiece of the Senate plan is the refusal by legislators to adopt the governor’s $14-billion cut in state spending, most of it from schools. Newsom would only abandon those cuts if new federal coronavirus assistance is provided by early July.
The Senate, however, chose to delay making cuts of an equal value until at least October, embracing a more optimistic view about what will come from current discussions between Congress and the administration of President Trump.
Though most state lawmakers have downplayed any conflict, the Senate proposal presents Newsom with a significant test of his political leadership. The budget he signed last summer, his first after being elected in 2018, was the product of friendly conversations with legislative Democrats at the state Capitol over how best to divvy up that year’s multibillion-dollar tax windfall.
This time, the budget outlook is dire, and it could grow worse as a result of one of the fastest-growing and deepest economic chasms in state history.
“I hope that the proposal and ideas that the Senate puts forward have a positive impact, particularly when it comes to addressing the budget shortfall in a manner that does not make conditions worse for our vulnerable California residents,” state Sen. Holly Mitchell (D-Los Angeles), the Senate’s budget chairwoman, said Thursday.
Representatives of the Newsom administration who testified during the budget hearing largely expressed the governor’s desire to work collaboratively with the Legislature in agreeing to a spending plan before June 15, the first constitutional deadline for action.
Advertisement
H.D. Palmer, the administration’s budget spokesman, said the effort to secure additional money from Washington is “ongoing.”
It is unclear whether the Senate proposal will be embraced by the Assembly, which convened on Tuesday to consider Newsom’s budget plan. A number of Democrats in the lower house used their public hearing to excoriate the governor for the deep cuts he proposed in trying to erase a projected $54.3-billion deficit.
“If you are aged, poor and disabled, this budget is devastating,” Assemblyman Jim Wood (D-Healdsburg) said. “It hits those who can least afford it and who have the smallest voices.”
With funding for education often representing the largest share of state spending, the impacts to K-12 schools and college campuses could be severe.
Newsom’s budget would strip school spending to its legal minimum, resulting in a $15-billion reduction over current service levels and paired with the governor’s promise to build funding back up in the future.
Senate Democrats have called for spending $2.7 billion more on schools than proposed in Newsom’s budget. And they would rein in his call for cuts to the University of California and California State University systems.
Representatives of prominent education groups said Thursday that they appreciate the Senate’s effort but warned no plan under consideration would head off what they described as a crippling blow to local schools. They insisted additional resources are needed if schools are to implement COVID-19 protections in the school year that begins in late summer.
“Our schools cannot safely reopen with the proposed cuts to public education,” said Jeff Freitas, president of the California Federation of Teachers. “We must provide more funding to our schools, not less.”
By assuming that at least $14 billion in additional coronavirus relief funds will be provided by the federal government, the Senate budget plan also avoids other controversial cuts Newsom proposed. That includes almost $2.3 billion the governor seeks to slash from health and human services programs, including a rollback of recent efforts to increase the number of doctors who take patients in the Medi-Cal program and expand preschool and child-care programs.
Legislators also want to use more of California’s cash reserves. And their budget takes a more optimistic view of the economy than Newsom in its calculation of how many Californians will qualify for and seek services through Medi-Cal and the state’s welfare assistance program, CalWorks — an assumption that would alone lower spending relative to the governor’s plan by $3.6 billion.
Undoubtedly, other revenue-generating proposals will emerge in the state Capitol.
Two Democratic lawmakers offered new ideas Thursday to authorize a sports betting industry in California, which they said could bring in $200 million in tax revenue in the first year of operation and as much as $700 million per year once fully up and running.
And looming over all conversations about government funding is a November statewide ballot measure to loosen the limits on commercial property taxes, a controversial proposal that supporters believe could generate billions of dollars a year for schools and local government services.
If there is consensus on anything at this stage of budget discussions in Sacramento, it’s that the spending plan enacted before July 1 — the beginning of California’s fiscal year — is likely to have a short shelf life.
A key element of crafting the annual government spending guide is the tally of personal income tax revenue, usually paid by April 15. State officials extended this year’s deadline to July 15 to help taxpayers struggling with coronavirus-related problems.
If the final collections are significantly better or worse than now expected, legislators will probably make modifications of the budget in August.


latimes--2020-05-28--Los Angeles County public defender dies from COVID-19

A Los Angeles County deputy public defender died earlier this week , just a few days after testing positive for COVID-19 , officials confirmed late Thursday .
It marked the first coronavirus death in the ranks of the L.A. County public defender ’ s office , and it comes as courts across California chart a path to reopen services and ease restrictions .
Ricardo Garcia , the county ’ s top public defender , did not identify the deceased attorney , but said the person worked in the West Covina branch office and died Wednesday .
“ The loss of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and our hearts reach out to family , friends , and the entire public defender ’ s office who lost a cherished colleague and friend , ” Garcia said in a statement .
The deputy public defender had been self-isolating at home since May 16 and tested positive for COVID-19 three days later , officials said .
“ Two co-workers who worked with the individual were immediately notified and quarantined upon receipt of the positive test , ” said Garcia , adding that the office where the person worked was closed and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ L.A. County public defender ’ s office have tested positive for COVID-19 , according to an office spokeswoman .

A Los Angeles County deputy public defender died earlier this week, just a few days after testing positive for COVID-19, officials confirmed late Thursday.
It marked the first coronavirus death in the ranks of the L.A. County public defender’s office, and it comes as courts across California chart a path to reopen services and ease restrictions.
Ricardo Garcia, the county’s top public defender, did not identify the deceased attorney, but said the person worked in the West Covina branch office and died Wednesday.
Advertisement
“The loss of this deputy public defender is a tragedy, and our hearts reach out to family, friends, and the entire public defender’s office who lost a cherished colleague and friend,” Garcia said in a statement.
The deputy public defender had been self-isolating at home since May 16 and tested positive for COVID-19 three days later, officials said.
“Two co-workers who worked with the individual were immediately notified and quarantined upon receipt of the positive test,” said Garcia, adding that the office where the person worked was closed and cleaned.
Eight other employees of the L.A. County public defender’s office have tested positive for COVID-19, according to an office spokeswoman.


latimes--2020-05-28--Protesters return to downtown Los Angeles to decry police killing in Minneapolis

Protesters filled the streets of downtown Los Angeles for the second evening in a row Thursday , with demonstrators gathering outside Los Angeles Police Department headquarters to decry a black man ’ s death in police custody in Minneapolis .
The demonstration , organized by the Los Angeles chapter of Black Lives Matter , was on a smaller scale than the day before .
Some of the protesters briefly surrounded a California Highway Patrol vehicle , and at least one kicked the cruiser , but the car drove off before it was visibly damaged .
Anger over the killing of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ white Minneapolis police office knelt on his neck for several minutes , has flared in cities nationwide .
On Wednesday , demonstrators spilled onto the 101 Freeway downtown and blocked traffic in both directions .
One man was injured after clambering atop a California Highway Patrol cruiser , which sped off as protesters bashed in the rear windshield .
On Thursday , a crowd gathered outside LAPD headquarters on 1st Street .
Demonstrators had defaced the building with anti-police graffiti the previous night .
In response to the video of officers kneeling on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Angeles Police Protective League ’ s Board of Directors said in a statement , ` “ What we saw in that video was inconsistent and contrary to everything we have been taught , not just as an academy recruit or a police officer , but as human beings .
Reverence for life in every incident a police officer encounters must be the floor and not the ceiling.
” Long Beach Police Department Chief Robert G. Luna said in a statement released Thursday that the actions of the officers in the videotape “ are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have taken to protect and serve , and also violate the public trust that we have worked so hard to build in our communities .
”

Protesters filled the streets of downtown Los Angeles for the second evening in a row Thursday, with demonstrators gathering outside Los Angeles Police Department headquarters to decry a black man’s death in police custody in Minneapolis.
The demonstration, organized by the Los Angeles chapter of Black Lives Matter, was on a smaller scale than the day before.
Some of the protesters briefly surrounded a California Highway Patrol vehicle, and at least one kicked the cruiser, but the car drove off before it was visibly damaged.
Advertisement
1 / 81 Protesters stand on top of a burned LAPD cruiser. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times) 2 / 81 Protesters stand on top of a bus stop at the Los Angeles Civic Center to demonstrate for justice Wednesday night. (Luis Sinco/Los Angeles Times) 3 / 81 Protestors turn on their cell phone flashlights at Los Angeles City Hall at 9 pm on Wednesday as part of a silent protest against the death of George Floyd. (Gary Coronado/Los Angeles Times) 4 / 81 A protester confronts National Guardsmen as thousands of protesters march down Spring Street in Los Angeles to demonstrate for justice in the George Floyd murder by cop case Wednesday. (Luis Sinco/Los Angeles Times) 5 / 81 Protesters dance on Spring Street in downtown Los Angeles Wednesday night. (Luis Sinco/Los Angeles Times) 6 / 81 Thousands of protesters march down Spring Street in Los Angeles Wednesday night to demonstrate for justice in the killing of George Floyd. (Luis Sinco/Los Angeles Times) 7 / 81 LAPD Cmdr. Gerald Woodyard takes a knee with protesters and L.A. clergy during a march in downtown Los Angeles on Tuesday. (Kent Nishimura/Los Angeles Times) 8 / 81 Khalil Mitchell speaks to protesters kneeling near a police line, preaching calm and working to preserve a peaceful protest on Monday. (Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times) 9 / 81 In Hollywood, hundreds of protesters march Monday against police brutality. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times) 10 / 81 AJ Lovelace, a director and writer, and others keep potential looters from entering a dry cleaning store as they attempt to march peacefully. “We need peace and we need someone to talk to each other,” he said after the looters fled the scene. (Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times) 11 / 81 Demonstrators in Riverside retreat as county sheriff’s deputies fire nonlethal rounds on Monday after law enforcement announced an unlawful assembly. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times) 12 / 81 Protesters in Riverside. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times) 13 / 81 An arrest in Hollywood during a protest Monday. (Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times) 14 / 81 A demonstrator, injured while trying to flee the firing of nonlethal rounds, lies on the ground in Riverside. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times) 15 / 81 An LAPD officer arrests a looting suspect in an alley behind a Hollywood Boulevard store. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times) 16 / 81 Riverside County deputies advance on demonstrators on Monday. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times) 17 / 81 Fireworks thrown by a protester explode at the feet of Riverside police. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times) 18 / 81 Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco takes a knee with demonstrators. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times) 19 / 81 A watch and jewelry store is looted in Van Nuys on Monday. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times) 20 / 81 A looting arrest in Van Nuys. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times) 21 / 81 AJ Lovelace, director and writer, tries to stop looters from breaking into a Walgreens in Hollywood. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times) 22 / 81 An LAPD officer arrests a suspected looter in an alley behind a Hollywood Boulevard store. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times) 23 / 81 Police advance on a line of protesters in Hollywood, firing rubber bullets. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times) 24 / 81 Arrests are made of those out after curfew in Hollywood. (Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times) 25 / 81 Protesters in Hollywood. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times) 26 / 81 A store is looted in Hollywood. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times) 27 / 81 Protesters in Hollywood. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times) 28 / 81 People out after curfew are arrested Monday at Sunset Boulevard and Gower Street. (Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times) 29 / 81 Arrests in Hollywood. (Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times) 30 / 81 Protests in Westwood. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times) 31 / 81 Volunteers help clean up the mess left by looters in Long Beach. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) 32 / 81 Protest in Hollywood. (Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times) 33 / 81 National Guardsmen outside Santa Monica Place. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times) 34 / 81 Gilbert Haro and sons Richard, 8, and James, 6, help clean up in Santa Monica. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times) 35 / 81 Protesters face off with police in Santa Monica on Sunday. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times) 36 / 81 Santa Monica stores were the target of looting on Sunday. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times) 37 / 81 Suspected looters in custody in Santa Monica on Sunday. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times) 38 / 81 L.A. County sheriff’s deputies in Santa Monica on Sunday. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times) 39 / 81 Sake House employee Jared Settles can’t bear to watch as the restaurant burns in Santa Monica on Sunday. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times) 40 / 81 An arrest in Santa Monica on Sunday. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times) 41 / 81 Broken glass from a looted store covers the sidewalk in Santa Monica. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times) 42 / 81 Cecelia Rosales, who said she was homeless, walks past a line of police officers in Santa Monica on Sunday. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times) 43 / 81 A man guards a convenience store in Santa Monica. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times) 44 / 81 Looting erupted Sunday in Long Beach. (Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times) 45 / 81 Police and protesters face off in Santa Monica on Sunday. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times) 46 / 81 A police officer inspects the damage to a Santa Monica supermarket. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times) 47 / 81 A protester is treated after being struck by a rubber bullet. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times) 48 / 81 Looting in Long Beach on Sunday. (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times) 49 / 81 Looting in Long Beach. (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times) 50 / 81 A suspected looter in Long Beach. (Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times) 51 / 81 Smashing windows in Santa Monica. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times) 52 / 81 An arrest in Santa Monica on Sunday. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times) 53 / 81 People walk away with surfboards in Santa Monica on Sunday. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times) 54 / 81 People rush out of a looted store in Santa Monica. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times) 55 / 81 Protesters in downtown Los Angeles on Sunday. (Myung J. Chun / Los Angeles Times) 56 / 81 Cheers for protesters in downtown Los Angeles. (Myung J. Chun / Los Angeles Times) 57 / 81 City Hall on Sunday. (Myung J. Chun / Los Angeles Times) 58 / 81 A shattered storefront on Melrose Avenue on Sunday. (Christina House / Los Angeles Times) 59 / 81 Smashed windows on La Cienega Boulevard. (Christina House / Los Angeles Times) 60 / 81 Downtown L.A. on Sunday. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times) 61 / 81 People carry merchandise from a looted store. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times) 62 / 81 A person carries items from a looted store in the Fairfax District on Saturday. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times) 63 / 81 A couple of protesters embrace on Fairfax Avenue in Los Angeles Saturday. (Wally Skalij/Los Angeles Times) 64 / 81 People protest Saturday at Pan Pacific Park. (Kent Nishimura/Los Angeles Times) 65 / 81 Protesters gather around a fire in the middle of a downtown L.A. street on Friday. (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times) 66 / 81 Police fire percussion rounds to clear protesters from Grand Avenue in in downtown Los Angeles on Friday. (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times) 67 / 81 A protester remains defiant after being pushed to the ground by police on Grand Avenue in downtown Los Angeles on Friday. (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times) 68 / 81 Protesters are arrested by Los Angeles police in front of City Hall on Saturday. (Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times) 69 / 81 Protesters block the 110 Freeway. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times) 70 / 81 Protesters take to the streets Friday in downtown L.A. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times) 71 / 81 Protesters are escorted off the northbound 110 Freeway in downtown Los Angeles. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times) 72 / 81 A protester is escorted off the northbound 110 Freeway in downtown Los Angeles. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times) 73 / 81 Protesters climb over a barrier during the May 29 protest in downtown L.A. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times) 74 / 81 Protesters block the 110 Freeway northbound and southbound in downtown Los Angeles. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times) 75 / 81 Police officers assume a defensive stance as a protester approaches them on the 110 Freeway on May 29. (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times) 76 / 81 During a May 29 protest, Los Angeles police patrol the 110 after having moved protesters off the freeway. (Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times) 77 / 81 A protester rides a skateboard on the 110 Freeway. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times) 78 / 81 Protesters block the 110 Freeway northbound and southbound in downtown Los Angeles. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times) 79 / 81 A protester confronts LAPD officers on Friday in downtown L.A. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times) 80 / 81 A protester lies hurt on the 101 Freeway near downtown Los Angeles on May 27. (Gabriella Angotti-Jones / Los Angeles Times) 81 / 81 An injured man gets up with the help of emergency workers during a protest May 27 in downtown L.A. (Dania Maxwell / Los Angeles Times)
Anger over the killing of George Floyd, who died when a white Minneapolis police office knelt on his neck for several minutes, has flared in cities nationwide.
On Wednesday, demonstrators spilled onto the 101 Freeway downtown and blocked traffic in both directions. One man was injured after clambering atop a California Highway Patrol cruiser, which sped off as protesters bashed in the rear windshield.
On Thursday, a crowd gathered outside LAPD headquarters on 1st Street. Demonstrators had defaced the building with anti-police graffiti the previous night.
In response to the video of officers kneeling on Floyd’s neck, the Los Angeles Police Protective League’s Board of Directors said in a statement,` “What we saw in that video was inconsistent and contrary to everything we have been taught, not just as an academy recruit or a police officer, but as human beings. Reverence for life in every incident a police officer encounters must be the floor and not the ceiling.”
Advertisement
Long Beach Police Department Chief Robert G. Luna said in a statement released Thursday that the actions of the officers in the videotape “are directly in conflict with the oath we have taken to protect and serve, and also violate the public trust that we have worked so hard to build in our communities.”
City News Service contributed to this report.


latimes--2020-05-28--More than 60 Imperial County coronavirus patients are being treated at Riverside County hospitals

Riverside County hospitals are receiving coronavirus patients from Imperial County because its two hospitals have reached capacity , according to officials .
As of Wednesday , 63 patients from Imperial County were being treated at Riverside County hospitals , said Brooke Federico , the county ’ s public information officer .
Of the new patients , 51 were transferred from Imperial County hospitals and the others were walk-ins , said Bruce Barton , Riverside County ’ s emergency management director .
Imperial County had 1,443 confirmed COVID-19 cases and 26 deaths as of Thursday afternoon , records show .
Riverside @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , which is seven more fatalities than on the previous day .
A total of 199 people , including 66 in intensive care , are hospitalized in Riverside County , Federico said .
Barton said the recent increase of hospitalizations is still within the capacity of Riverside County ’ s health system , but officials are monitoring the situation .
“ The goal of the state ’ s regional distribution plan is to assure these patients receive needed care and are appropriately distributed across Southern California hospitals so that no single county is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Other neighboring counties have also received patients , officials said .
“ It is fortunate that we have the hospital space to assist our neighbors in Imperial County .
It shows how important these hospital beds are and how we need to keep our hospital space available for surges that could come , ” said Riverside County Supervisor V. Manuel Perez .

Medical staff carry a patient’s belongings as she is evacuated from Magnolia Rehabilitation and Nursing Center last month.
Riverside County hospitals are receiving coronavirus patients from Imperial County because its two hospitals have reached capacity, according to officials.
As of Wednesday, 63 patients from Imperial County were being treated at Riverside County hospitals, said Brooke Federico, the county’s public information officer.
Of the new patients, 51 were transferred from Imperial County hospitals and the others were walk-ins, said Bruce Barton, Riverside County’s emergency management director.
Advertisement
Imperial County had 1,443 confirmed COVID-19 cases and 26 deaths as of Thursday afternoon, records show. Riverside County had 7,341 cases and 313 deaths, which is seven more fatalities than on the previous day.
A total of 199 people, including 66 in intensive care, are hospitalized in Riverside County, Federico said.
Barton said the recent increase of hospitalizations is still within the capacity of Riverside County’s health system, but officials are monitoring the situation.
“The goal of the state’s regional distribution plan is to assure these patients receive needed care and are appropriately distributed across Southern California hospitals so that no single county is disproportionately impacted,” Barton said.
Other neighboring counties have also received patients, officials said.
“It is fortunate that we have the hospital space to assist our neighbors in Imperial County. It shows how important these hospital beds are and how we need to keep our hospital space available for surges that could come,” said Riverside County Supervisor V. Manuel Perez.


latimes--2020-05-28--L.A. County officials hope reopening plan is approved by Friday

Los Angeles County officials are hoping to find out as early as Friday whether they ’ ll be allowed to reopen restaurants for in-person dining , along with barbershops and hair salons .
The county submitted its variance application on Wednesday to the state , which decides if counties can reopen at an accelerated rate if they meet certain COVID-19 benchmarks .
Thus far , that variance approval has been granted within days for 47 counties , including all that surround L.A. County .
The variance for Ventura County was approved within 48 hours .
“ Regional data shows we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ readiness to move forward in phased recovery , ” Supervisor Kathryn Barger said in a statement .
Barger expressed hope that the approval would be granted by Friday .
“ This will put Los Angeles County on a level playing field with surrounding counties , which have already been granted variances.
” Gov .
Gavin Newsom , who established the variance process in May , has cautioned residents that , although businesses across the state are starting to reopen , the threat of the coronavirus is not over .
“ The reality is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Newsom said at his news conference on Tuesday .
“ It hasn ’ t ended .
And while we are moving forward because of stabilization , because of the good work that ’ s been done by health officials all across this nation , all across the state of California , specifically , to suppress the spread of this virus , by no stretch of the imagination is this virus behind us.
” Some counties have already tapered expectations after getting approval to reopen .
This week , officials in Sonoma County , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reopening , were forced to decide they wouldn ’ t reopen in-store retail , hair salons and places of worship after easing restrictions earlier this month and watching the case rate double .
And in Santa Clara County , the county ’ s health officer Dr. Sara Cody expressed concerns Tuesday that California risks a surge in cases if it reopens too many sectors of society too quickly .
Since early May , “ the state has shifted away from the stay-at-home model and has made significant modifications with increasing frequency , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which the state has made these modifications is concerning to me.
” In its application to the state , L.A. County officials make the case that the county has met the criteria created by the California Department of Public Health to reopen .
For example , Los Angeles County had to prove that the prevalence of COVID-19 cases is low enough that , if the stay-at-home order is eased and cases undoubtedly increase , the county will have the capacity to respond .
Los Angeles County reported a decline in its total number @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of daily percent change of -1 % , according to the variance application .
L.A. County also had to prove that the prevalence of the coronavirus spreading in the community was low enough to reopen .
The state ’ s criteria is : fewer than 25 new cases per 100,000 residents in the past 14 days , or less than 8 % testing positive in the past seven days .
L.A. County was able to meet the latter , with 6.5 % people testing positive in the past seven days , according to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ county saw almost 100 cases ( 98.7 ) per 100,000 people in the past 14 days , four times higher than the state ’ s criteria .
One of the more concerning portions of the county ’ s application related to showing nursing homes are prepared should the COVID-19 pandemic intensify .
As of Tuesday , only 33 % of the 381 nursing homes in L.A. County had enough personal protective equipment to last more than 14 days , according to the application .
Less than half , 47 % , have enough @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and only one-third have adequate gowns .
Dr. Christina Ghaly , director of health services for L.A. County , said last week that at the start of the coronavirus outbreak , every one person who contracted the virus infected more than three others .
After the stay-at-home order was issued , that rate of transmission dropped to one — every person who contracted the virus infected only one other .
But , Ghaly warned , that number could rise again if the use of face coverings and social distancing practices do not continue @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the number of hospitalizations in L.A. County has remained relatively unchanged from 1,440 to 1,477 people in hospital care , and between 28 % and 27 % in intensive care .
The county has also reported for the past four days that 8 % of those who have been tested for the virus have been positive .
In the application to the state , the county included a draft of its community mitigation plan , which outlines how the pandemic could play out in the coming months in Los Angeles County .
According @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 15 , health officials anticipate additional waves of cases at varying levels of severity will occur over the next 18 to 24 months throughout the U.S. , including Los Angeles County , and will continue until enough people — at least 60 % to 70 % of the population — are immune to the virus .
“ Extraordinary and historically unprecedented efforts have resulted in disease transmission slowing in Los Angeles County , ” the plan reads .
“ However , its future course is still highly unpredictable .
”

Los Angeles County officials are hoping to find out as early as Friday whether they’ll be allowed to reopen restaurants for in-person dining, along with barbershops and hair salons.
The county submitted its variance application on Wednesday to the state, which decides if counties can reopen at an accelerated rate if they meet certain COVID-19 benchmarks.
Thus far, that variance approval has been granted within days for 47 counties, including all that surround L.A. County. The variance for Ventura County was approved within 48 hours.
Advertisement
“Regional data shows we have flattened the curve, indicating our readiness to move forward in phased recovery,” Supervisor Kathryn Barger said in a statement. Barger expressed hope that the approval would be granted by Friday. “This will put Los Angeles County on a level playing field with surrounding counties, which have already been granted variances.”
Gov. Gavin Newsom, who established the variance process in May, has cautioned residents that, although businesses across the state are starting to reopen, the threat of the coronavirus is not over.
“The reality is, this has just begun,” Newsom said at his news conference on Tuesday. “It hasn’t ended. And while we are moving forward because of stabilization, because of the good work that’s been done by health officials all across this nation, all across the state of California, specifically, to suppress the spread of this virus, by no stretch of the imagination is this virus behind us.”
Some counties have already tapered expectations after getting approval to reopen. This week, officials in Sonoma County, one of the first counties to begin reopening, were forced to decide they wouldn’t reopen in-store retail, hair salons and places of worship after easing restrictions earlier this month and watching the case rate double.
And in Santa Clara County, the county’s health officer Dr. Sara Cody expressed concerns Tuesday that California risks a surge in cases if it reopens too many sectors of society too quickly.
Since early May, “the state has shifted away from the stay-at-home model and has made significant modifications with increasing frequency,” Cody said. “The pace at which the state has made these modifications is concerning to me.”
In its application to the state, L.A. County officials make the case that the county has met the criteria created by the California Department of Public Health to reopen.
For example, Los Angeles County had to prove that the prevalence of COVID-19 cases is low enough that, if the stay-at-home order is eased and cases undoubtedly increase, the county will have the capacity to respond.
Advertisement
Los Angeles County reported a decline in its total number of hospitalized patients, a seven-day average of daily percent change of -1%, according to the variance application.
L.A. County also had to prove that the prevalence of the coronavirus spreading in the community was low enough to reopen. The state’s criteria is: fewer than 25 new cases per 100,000 residents in the past 14 days, or less than 8% testing positive in the past seven days.
L.A. County was able to meet the latter, with 6.5% people testing positive in the past seven days, according to the variance application. Meanwhile, the county saw almost 100 cases (98.7) per 100,000 people in the past 14 days, four times higher than the state’s criteria.
One of the more concerning portions of the county’s application related to showing nursing homes are prepared should the COVID-19 pandemic intensify.
As of Tuesday, only 33% of the 381 nursing homes in L.A. County had enough personal protective equipment to last more than 14 days, according to the application. Less than half, 47%, have enough N95 masks to last two weeks, and only one-third have adequate gowns.
Dr. Christina Ghaly, director of health services for L.A. County, said last week that at the start of the coronavirus outbreak, every one person who contracted the virus infected more than three others. After the stay-at-home order was issued, that rate of transmission dropped to one — every person who contracted the virus infected only one other.
But, Ghaly warned, that number could rise again if the use of face coverings and social distancing practices do not continue.
For the past four days, the number of hospitalizations in L.A. County has remained relatively unchanged from 1,440 to 1,477 people in hospital care, and between 28% and 27% in intensive care. The county has also reported for the past four days that 8% of those who have been tested for the virus have been positive.
In the application to the state, the county included a draft of its community mitigation plan, which outlines how the pandemic could play out in the coming months in Los Angeles County.
According to that mitigation plan, completed May 15, health officials anticipate additional waves of cases at varying levels of severity will occur over the next 18 to 24 months throughout the U.S., including Los Angeles County, and will continue until enough people — at least 60% to 70% of the population — are immune to the virus.
“Extraordinary and historically unprecedented efforts have resulted in disease transmission slowing in Los Angeles County,” the plan reads. “However, its future course is still highly unpredictable.”
Times staff writers Rong-Gong Lin II contributed to this report.


latimes--2020-05-28--Garcetti, Martinez call on L.A. City Councilman Huizar to resign

Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti and City Council President Nury Martinez on Thursday called on Councilman Jose Huizar to step down amid an ongoing corruption investigation at City Hall centered on bribes and real estate development .
Martinez said in a statement that the “ greed , corruption and deception ” laid out in new federal filings in the case “ disgusted ” her and shook Angelenos ’ faith in government .
“ He should resign immediately , ” Martinez said .
Rick Coca , a Martinez spokesman , said the councilwoman also sent a letter to Huizar asking him @ @ @ @ @ @ @ after Martinez ’ s statement was made public , said he supports her request .
The mayor said that “ elected officials have a special responsibility to the people who entrust them with power .
Mr. Huizar has lost that trust , and I hope and expect that any wrongdoing will be exposed and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.
” Huizar has not been arrested or charged with a crime .
Representatives for the councilman , whose district stretches from downtown to Eagle Rock , didn ’ t immediately respond @ @ @ @ @ @ @ calls for Huizar to resign came one day after federal prosecutors announced that George Esparza , a longtime aide to the councilman , had agreed to plead guilty in a scheme that involved hitting up developers for cash and other bribes in exchange for help with real estate projects .
Prosecutors said Esparza ’ s boss — a councilman who is not named in court records but is known to be Huizar based on details in federal filings — was in charge of the operation .
Prosecutors said the councilman received more than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ just one of the real estate developers doing business in his district .
Esparza is the fourth person to agree to plead guilty in the sprawling probe .
Huizar had long been known to be under federal investigation — FBI agents his home and offices in 2018 — and the councilman was stripped of many committee assignments shortly after the raids .
After a separate development in the case , involving an agreement by a real estate consultant to plead guilty , Martinez two weeks ago asked the councilman to stop attending council @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ legal clarity ” on the federal probe .
She stopped short of seeking his resignation , while four council members and City Controller Ron Galperin called on him to step down .
But on Thursday , she cited the new federal filings and said the “ indictment directly implicates Councilmember Huizar and his illegal , offensive and absolute abuse-of-power dealings with a Council District 14 staffer .
”

Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti and City Council President Nury Martinez called on Councilman Jose Huizar, above, to resign after new disclosures in the City Hall corruption investigation.
Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti and City Council President Nury Martinez on Thursday called on Councilman Jose Huizar to step down amid an ongoing corruption investigation at City Hall centered on bribes and real estate development.
Martinez said in a statement that the “greed, corruption and deception” laid out in new federal filings in the case “disgusted” her and shook Angelenos’ faith in government.
“He should resign immediately,” Martinez said. Rick Coca, a Martinez spokesman, said the councilwoman also sent a letter to Huizar asking him to step down.
Advertisement
Garcetti, shortly after Martinez’s statement was made public, said he supports her request. The mayor said that “elected officials have a special responsibility to the people who entrust them with power. Mr. Huizar has lost that trust, and I hope and expect that any wrongdoing will be exposed and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”
Huizar has not been arrested or charged with a crime. Representatives for the councilman, whose district stretches from downtown to Eagle Rock, didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.
The calls for Huizar to resign came one day after federal prosecutors announced that George Esparza, a longtime aide to the councilman, had agreed to plead guilty in a scheme that involved hitting up developers for cash and other bribes in exchange for help with real estate projects.
Prosecutors said Esparza’s boss — a councilman who is not named in court records but is known to be Huizar based on details in federal filings — was in charge of the operation. Prosecutors said the councilman received more than $1 million worth of bribes from just one of the real estate developers doing business in his district.
Esparza is the fourth person to agree to plead guilty in the sprawling probe.
Advertisement
Huizar had long been known to be under federal investigation — FBI agents raided his home and offices in 2018 — and the councilman was stripped of many committee assignments shortly after the raids.
California Chinese billionaire helped L.A. councilman settle sexual harassment suit, feds say Court documents in the George Esparza case allege that a billionaire Chinese real estate developer played a crucial role in helping L.A. Councilman Jose Huizar settle a sexual harassment lawsuit as he was seeking re-election.
After a separate development in the case, involving an agreement by a real estate consultant to plead guilty, Martinez two weeks ago asked the councilman to stop attending council meetings and casting votes until there was “legal clarity” on the federal probe.
She stopped short of seeking his resignation, while four council members and City Controller Ron Galperin called on him to step down.
But on Thursday, she cited the new federal filings and said the “indictment directly implicates Councilmember Huizar and his illegal, offensive and absolute abuse-of-power dealings with a Council District 14 staffer.”


latimes--2020-05-28--Yolo County ditches its local shelter in place order, but state order remains

Yolo County lifted its shelter-in-place order Thursday , but stressed that county residents must still comply with the state ’ @ @ @ @ @ the local order is now rescinded , county residents must still follow the state ’ @ @ @ @ @ still in effect and sets the guidelines for when and how businesses and activities are @ @ @ @ @ the same time , the county ’ s new health order mandates that all residents @ @ @ @ @ and adhere to social distancing .
“ Businesses are also responsible for enforcing and specifying @ @ @ @ @ the public and staff to follow , ” county officials said in a statement .
@ @ @ @ @ to play in keeping our communities safe and healthy.
” As of Thursday , the @ @ @ @ @ with 23 deaths .

This transmission electron microscope image shows SARS-CoV-2, also known as 2019-nCoV, the coronavirus virus that causes COVID-19.
Yolo County lifted its shelter-in-place order Thursday, but stressed that county residents must still comply with the state’s stay-at-home order.
While the local order is now rescinded, county residents must still follow the state’s order, which is still in effect and sets the guidelines for when and how businesses and activities are allowed to reopen.
At the same time, the county’s new health order mandates that all residents wear face coverings in public and adhere to social distancing.
“Businesses are also responsible for enforcing and specifying policies at their establishment for the public and staff to follow,” county officials said in a statement. “Everyone has a role to play in keeping our communities safe and healthy.”
Advertisement
As of Thursday, the county reported 207 COVID-19 cases with 23 deaths.


latimes--2020-05-28--San Clemente removes controversial beach fencing amid pressure from county sheriff

Access will be a little easier for beachgoers visiting San Clemente this week after city leaders voted to reopen parking lots and remove fencing that prompted community outcry and a stern rebuke from the county ’ s top law enforcement official .
The City Council voted unanimously Wednesday to reopen parking lots at 50 % capacity and immediately remove the controversial fencing that triggered a protest last week and resulted in a letter from Orange County Sheriff Don Barnes threatening to terminate the agency ’ s contract with the city .
Last week , about 200 protesters converged near the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the fence , which some residents and officials contend had become a symbol of the restrictions placed on local communities by Sacramento amid the coronavirus outbreak .
Eight people , including 55-year-old Alan Hostetter , a former La Habra police chief and sheriff ’ s deputy who organized the protest , were arrested on suspicion of unlawful activity .
In a letter to interim City Manager Bob Dunek last week , Barnes noted that the situation could have been avoided by removing the fence ahead of the demonstration .
“ Unfortunately , after @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Council members , I can no longer say that our interests in serving San Clemente ’ s residents are mutually aligned , ” he wrote .
“ Additionally , the manner in which the city is governing itself and the decisions being made now reflect negatively on the Sheriff ’ s Department.
” Council members were initially scheduled to discuss the parking restrictions during a meeting in June .
But in response to Barnes ’ letter , they opted to move up the conversation , calling it a “ matter of public safety.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ sections of parking lots will be reopened to achieve 50 % capacity , but there will not be barriers blocking every other parking spot .
Staff will be able to fully reopen the lots once the county and state also completely reopen their parking areas .
Mayor Pro Tem Laura Ferguson argued that parking lots should be completely reopened in line with other nearby beach cities .
Newport Beach and Laguna Beach have removed all restrictions on beach parking , while Huntington Beach ’ s lots are operating at between 50 % and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ staff .
“ We ’ re supposed to be reopening our community and reopening our economy here , ” she said , adding that San Clemente shouldn ’ t be waiting to see what other communities do before taking action .
After some verbal sparring with Ferguson , Councilman Chris Hamm pushed for the city to take a more careful approach , reopening a portion of the lots immediately and giving city staff discretion to open them more fully in the coming days .
“ While we are following best practices of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t say that we ’ re waiting to see what others do , ” he said .
“ We ’ re trying to provide for the safety of our residents , our staff and visitors to our beach .
That should be our No .
1 priority.
” Barnes wrote in the letter that he is evaluating the agency ’ s option to terminate its contract with the city .
It is not clear when he plans to make a decision about whether to continue policing in San Clemente .
“ My @ @ @ @ @ @ @ beyond their existing dysfunction and prioritize the safety of my deputies , as well as the public they serve , in a manner that does not put them in an untenable position and at unnecessary risk , ” he wrote .
The loosened restrictions come as coronavirus-linked deaths continue to rise across Orange County .
Health officials on Thursday reported six additional fatalities , raising the region ’ s death toll to 142 .
Fifty-nine of those people were residents in skilled nursing facilities , according to county data .
Officials also reported @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the county ’ s total number of infections to 5,744 .
That figure includes an estimated 2,209 people who have since recovered .

Families practice social distancing while playing in the water and sand near the San Clemente Pier on May 18.
Access will be a little easier for beachgoers visiting San Clemente this week after city leaders voted to reopen parking lots and remove fencing that prompted community outcry and a stern rebuke from the county’s top law enforcement official.
The City Council voted unanimously Wednesday to reopen parking lots at 50% capacity and immediately remove the controversial fencing that triggered a protest last week and resulted in a letter from Orange County Sheriff Don Barnes threatening to terminate the agency’s contract with the city.
Last week, about 200 protesters converged near the pier to demand that city officials remove the fence, which some residents and officials contend had become a symbol of the restrictions placed on local communities by Sacramento amid the coronavirus outbreak.
Eight people, including 55-year-old Alan Hostetter, a former La Habra police chief and sheriff’s deputy who organized the protest, were arrested on suspicion of unlawful activity.
Advertisement
In a letter to interim City Manager Bob Dunek last week, Barnes noted that the situation could have been avoided by removing the fence ahead of the demonstration.
“Unfortunately, after years of continued conflict among the City Council members, I can no longer say that our interests in serving San Clemente’s residents are mutually aligned,” he wrote. “Additionally, the manner in which the city is governing itself and the decisions being made now reflect negatively on the Sheriff’s Department.”
Council members were initially scheduled to discuss the parking restrictions during a meeting in June. But in response to Barnes’ letter, they opted to move up the conversation, calling it a “matter of public safety.”
Under the new rules, certain sections of parking lots will be reopened to achieve 50% capacity, but there will not be barriers blocking every other parking spot. Staff will be able to fully reopen the lots once the county and state also completely reopen their parking areas.
Mayor Pro Tem Laura Ferguson argued that parking lots should be completely reopened in line with other nearby beach cities. Newport Beach and Laguna Beach have removed all restrictions on beach parking, while Huntington Beach’s lots are operating at between 50% and 75% capacity, according to city staff.
“We’re supposed to be reopening our community and reopening our economy here,” she said, adding that San Clemente shouldn’t be waiting to see what other communities do before taking action.
Advertisement
After some verbal sparring with Ferguson, Councilman Chris Hamm pushed for the city to take a more careful approach, reopening a portion of the lots immediately and giving city staff discretion to open them more fully in the coming days.
“While we are following best practices of the state and the county, I wouldn’t say that we’re waiting to see what others do,” he said. “We’re trying to provide for the safety of our residents, our staff and visitors to our beach. That should be our No. 1 priority.”
Barnes wrote in the letter that he is evaluating the agency’s option to terminate its contract with the city. It is not clear when he plans to make a decision about whether to continue policing in San Clemente.
“My hope is the City Council can move beyond their existing dysfunction and prioritize the safety of my deputies, as well as the public they serve, in a manner that does not put them in an untenable position and at unnecessary risk,” he wrote.
The loosened restrictions come as coronavirus-linked deaths continue to rise across Orange County.
Health officials on Thursday reported six additional fatalities, raising the region’s death toll to 142. Fifty-nine of those people were residents in skilled nursing facilities, according to county data.
Officials also reported 100 additional cases of COVID-19, bringing the county’s total number of infections to 5,744. That figure includes an estimated 2,209 people who have since recovered.


latimes--2020-05-29--George Floyd protesters shut down 101 Freeway in San Jose

Marking a third day of protest in California over the , demonstrators shut down the 101 Freeway on Friday afternoon in San Jose .
The killing of Floyd , a black man who died after a white Minneapolis police officer knelt on his neck earlier this week , has sparked protests across the country , including two in downtown Los Angeles .
On Wednesday night , demonstrators briefly shutdown the 101 in the L.A. civic center .
On Friday , hundreds of demonstrators began marching at San Jose City Hall before running onto the 101 Freeway at Santa Clara Street @ @ @ @ @ @ @ returning to downtown San Jose .
San José Mayor Sam Liccardo said Friday he understood the anger but urged peaceful protests .
“ Anger and peaceful protest will always be appropriate responses to injustice ; violence will never be , ” tweeted Liccardo on Friday afternoon .
“ San José is united in outrage over the atrocious crime committed in Minneapolis and in sadness over George Floyd ’ s horrible death.
” He added , “ SJPD will take a measured approach in facilitating peaceful protest , but there will be no tolerance @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to our city.
” Marchers also returned Friday to downtown Los Angeles for a third day of demonstrations .
Nine people were arrested Thursday night at a Fontana protest .
That event , which started in the 8400 block of Sierra Avenue about 6 p.m. , initially involved about 50 demonstrators but grew to include about 100 , police said in a news release .
Protesters blocked traffic and threw rocks at the windows of businesses and passing vehicles , according to investigators .
Some windows at Fontana City Hall were damaged , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an unlawful assembly and ordered the demonstrators to disperse about 9 p.m .
Some of the protesters refused and threw rocks at officers , prompting them to ask other agencies for help , police said .
It took officers more than an hour to break up the crowd , and nine people were arrested on suspicion of various offenses , police said .
There was no immediate word on what charges they might face .
In lobbed bottles , trampled a perimeter fence , broke windows and overran a police station .
Crowds @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cars and fire guns in the air early Friday .
Floyd ’ s deadly encounter with police began Monday night after he was accused of trying to use a counterfeit $ 20 bill at a grocery store .
Cellphone video of his arrest outside the business shows Officer Derek Chauvin driving his knee into the 46-year-old ’ s neck as Floyd pleads that he can ’ t breathe .
After several minutes , Floyd appears to lose consciousness , and a bystander can be heard yelling that Floyd ’ s nose is bleeding @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Floyd ’ s pulse , Chauvin ’ s knee remains positioned on the man ’ s neck .
The killing has been condemned by leaders of some of the largest police departments in the U.S .

Protesters demonstrating against the killing of George Floyd clashed for hours with police on the streets of downtown Los Angeles, blocking the 110 Freeway, damaging cars and property and getting into a series of tense altercations with officers. Looting and vandalism were reported across the area early Saturday as police tried to push out the demonstrators, many of whom were arrested and hustled off in buses.
At least four LAPD officers were hurt, some after being hit by debris.
Fireworks were set off in the streets, the sparks hitting buildings. Smoke filled the air as some people broke into shops, making off with tennis shoes, clothing and electronic items such as television screens and speakers. Looted jewelry lay scattered on the sidewalk and in the road, with some people stopping to scoop some of it up and others distributing it to bystanders.
Buildings were spray-painted with profanity and anti-police statements as well as Floyd’s dying plea as he lay pinned to the ground by a Minneapolis police officer: “I can’t breathe.”
Advertisement
Along 6th Street, between Spring and Broadway, residents watched the action below from their lofts and apartments, sometimes egging demonstrators on as they drank beer and took video footage of the chaos. Some pleaded with demonstrators not to damage their cars parked on the street.
One local business owner, Pedro Mojarro, stood outside his burger eatery to protect it. Mojarro, 32, said he supported the demonstrators but was upset that they were targeting businesses like his.
“We’re with you — I’m not against you. If you need to protest, go do it in front of the police station. Be angry at them,” Mojarro said, adding: “I’m just a business owner trying to survive.”
The situation had deteriorated around midnight as several jewelry stores were broken into and looted along with a CVS drugstore. A nearby Whole Foods Market was damaged. One person threw a scooter into a plate-glass window at one business, while another person offered a reporter a handful of jewelry on the street.
Police said there were numerous burglaries by “opportunists” not necessarily connected with the original protest that began Friday afternoon with a march on City Hall and Los Angeles Police Department headquarters.
“I think when we hit daylight we will see the destruction. We lost at least two police vehicles to fire,” said LAPD Assistant Chief Robert Arcos.
Advertisement
A Starbucks on Spring Street was vandalized, its windows smashed and painted with slogans such as “End Racism” and “Brown Power Unite.” Furniture from the store was thrown onto the street.
One business on 6th Street sported a signed that read “Black owned.” The windows of the salon next to it were broken.
Some trash cans were set on fire, and protesters set some debris on fire on at least one street. A video showed an LAPD vehicle burning on Figueroa Street.
1 / 81 Protesters stand on top of a burned LAPD cruiser. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times) 2 / 81 Protesters stand on top of a bus stop at the Los Angeles Civic Center to demonstrate for justice Wednesday night. (Luis Sinco/Los Angeles Times) 3 / 81 Protestors turn on their cell phone flashlights at Los Angeles City Hall at 9 pm on Wednesday as part of a silent protest against the death of George Floyd. (Gary Coronado/Los Angeles Times) 4 / 81 A protester confronts National Guardsmen as thousands of protesters march down Spring Street in Los Angeles to demonstrate for justice in the George Floyd murder by cop case Wednesday. (Luis Sinco/Los Angeles Times) 5 / 81 Protesters dance on Spring Street in downtown Los Angeles Wednesday night. (Luis Sinco/Los Angeles Times) 6 / 81 Thousands of protesters march down Spring Street in Los Angeles Wednesday night to demonstrate for justice in the killing of George Floyd. (Luis Sinco/Los Angeles Times) 7 / 81 LAPD Cmdr. Gerald Woodyard takes a knee with protesters and L.A. clergy during a march in downtown Los Angeles on Tuesday. (Kent Nishimura/Los Angeles Times) 8 / 81 Khalil Mitchell speaks to protesters kneeling near a police line, preaching calm and working to preserve a peaceful protest on Monday. (Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times) 9 / 81 In Hollywood, hundreds of protesters march Monday against police brutality. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times) 10 / 81 AJ Lovelace, a director and writer, and others keep potential looters from entering a dry cleaning store as they attempt to march peacefully. “We need peace and we need someone to talk to each other,” he said after the looters fled the scene. (Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times) 11 / 81 Demonstrators in Riverside retreat as county sheriff’s deputies fire nonlethal rounds on Monday after law enforcement announced an unlawful assembly. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times) 12 / 81 Protesters in Riverside. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times) 13 / 81 An arrest in Hollywood during a protest Monday. (Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times) 14 / 81 A demonstrator, injured while trying to flee the firing of nonlethal rounds, lies on the ground in Riverside. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times) 15 / 81 An LAPD officer arrests a looting suspect in an alley behind a Hollywood Boulevard store. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times) 16 / 81 Riverside County deputies advance on demonstrators on Monday. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times) 17 / 81 Fireworks thrown by a protester explode at the feet of Riverside police. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times) 18 / 81 Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco takes a knee with demonstrators. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times) 19 / 81 A watch and jewelry store is looted in Van Nuys on Monday. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times) 20 / 81 A looting arrest in Van Nuys. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times) 21 / 81 AJ Lovelace, director and writer, tries to stop looters from breaking into a Walgreens in Hollywood. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times) 22 / 81 An LAPD officer arrests a suspected looter in an alley behind a Hollywood Boulevard store. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times) 23 / 81 Police advance on a line of protesters in Hollywood, firing rubber bullets. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times) 24 / 81 Arrests are made of those out after curfew in Hollywood. (Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times) 25 / 81 Protesters in Hollywood. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times) 26 / 81 A store is looted in Hollywood. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times) 27 / 81 Protesters in Hollywood. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times) 28 / 81 People out after curfew are arrested Monday at Sunset Boulevard and Gower Street. (Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times) 29 / 81 Arrests in Hollywood. (Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times) 30 / 81 Protests in Westwood. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times) 31 / 81 Volunteers help clean up the mess left by looters in Long Beach. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) 32 / 81 Protest in Hollywood. (Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times) 33 / 81 National Guardsmen outside Santa Monica Place. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times) 34 / 81 Gilbert Haro and sons Richard, 8, and James, 6, help clean up in Santa Monica. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times) 35 / 81 Protesters face off with police in Santa Monica on Sunday. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times) 36 / 81 Santa Monica stores were the target of looting on Sunday. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times) 37 / 81 Suspected looters in custody in Santa Monica on Sunday. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times) 38 / 81 L.A. County sheriff’s deputies in Santa Monica on Sunday. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times) 39 / 81 Sake House employee Jared Settles can’t bear to watch as the restaurant burns in Santa Monica on Sunday. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times) 40 / 81 An arrest in Santa Monica on Sunday. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times) 41 / 81 Broken glass from a looted store covers the sidewalk in Santa Monica. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times) 42 / 81 Cecelia Rosales, who said she was homeless, walks past a line of police officers in Santa Monica on Sunday. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times) 43 / 81 A man guards a convenience store in Santa Monica. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times) 44 / 81 Looting erupted Sunday in Long Beach. (Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times) 45 / 81 Police and protesters face off in Santa Monica on Sunday. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times) 46 / 81 A police officer inspects the damage to a Santa Monica supermarket. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times) 47 / 81 A protester is treated after being struck by a rubber bullet. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times) 48 / 81 Looting in Long Beach on Sunday. (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times) 49 / 81 Looting in Long Beach. (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times) 50 / 81 A suspected looter in Long Beach. (Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times) 51 / 81 Smashing windows in Santa Monica. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times) 52 / 81 An arrest in Santa Monica on Sunday. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times) 53 / 81 People walk away with surfboards in Santa Monica on Sunday. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times) 54 / 81 People rush out of a looted store in Santa Monica. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times) 55 / 81 Protesters in downtown Los Angeles on Sunday. (Myung J. Chun / Los Angeles Times) 56 / 81 Cheers for protesters in downtown Los Angeles. (Myung J. Chun / Los Angeles Times) 57 / 81 City Hall on Sunday. (Myung J. Chun / Los Angeles Times) 58 / 81 A shattered storefront on Melrose Avenue on Sunday. (Christina House / Los Angeles Times) 59 / 81 Smashed windows on La Cienega Boulevard. (Christina House / Los Angeles Times) 60 / 81 Downtown L.A. on Sunday. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times) 61 / 81 People carry merchandise from a looted store. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times) 62 / 81 A person carries items from a looted store in the Fairfax District on Saturday. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times) 63 / 81 A couple of protesters embrace on Fairfax Avenue in Los Angeles Saturday. (Wally Skalij/Los Angeles Times) 64 / 81 People protest Saturday at Pan Pacific Park. (Kent Nishimura/Los Angeles Times) 65 / 81 Protesters gather around a fire in the middle of a downtown L.A. street on Friday. (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times) 66 / 81 Police fire percussion rounds to clear protesters from Grand Avenue in in downtown Los Angeles on Friday. (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times) 67 / 81 A protester remains defiant after being pushed to the ground by police on Grand Avenue in downtown Los Angeles on Friday. (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times) 68 / 81 Protesters are arrested by Los Angeles police in front of City Hall on Saturday. (Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times) 69 / 81 Protesters block the 110 Freeway. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times) 70 / 81 Protesters take to the streets Friday in downtown L.A. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times) 71 / 81 Protesters are escorted off the northbound 110 Freeway in downtown Los Angeles. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times) 72 / 81 A protester is escorted off the northbound 110 Freeway in downtown Los Angeles. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times) 73 / 81 Protesters climb over a barrier during the May 29 protest in downtown L.A. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times) 74 / 81 Protesters block the 110 Freeway northbound and southbound in downtown Los Angeles. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times) 75 / 81 Police officers assume a defensive stance as a protester approaches them on the 110 Freeway on May 29. (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times) 76 / 81 During a May 29 protest, Los Angeles police patrol the 110 after having moved protesters off the freeway. (Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times) 77 / 81 A protester rides a skateboard on the 110 Freeway. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times) 78 / 81 Protesters block the 110 Freeway northbound and southbound in downtown Los Angeles. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times) 79 / 81 A protester confronts LAPD officers on Friday in downtown L.A. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times) 80 / 81 A protester lies hurt on the 101 Freeway near downtown Los Angeles on May 27. (Gabriella Angotti-Jones / Los Angeles Times) 81 / 81 An injured man gets up with the help of emergency workers during a protest May 27 in downtown L.A. (Dania Maxwell / Los Angeles Times)
Police had declared an unlawful assembly about 9:30 p.m. Friday for a large swath of downtown L.A. from the 10 Freeway to the 101, and the 110 Freeway to Alameda Street.
“This is being made following repeated acts of violence and property damage. Residents should stay inside. Businesses should close. Those on the street are to leave the area,” the LAPD said on Twitter.
The demonstration began about 4 p.m. Friday when marchers moved through downtown Los Angeles and into the Staples Center area, chanting, “I can’t breathe” and “No justice, no peace.” Then some members of the group went onto an onramp to the 110 Freeway and temporarily blocked traffic, waving signs and chanting at stopped motorists.
The protest started peacefully. But the situation grew more tense and violent as night fell, and worsened as the hours went on.
“L.A. failed tonight,” LAPD Chief Michel Moore told reporters at around 11 p.m.
Others were also left dismayed. Bruce Gantt, 64, watched as a row of police cruisers with their red and blue lights and sirens on sped along Temple Street. Seconds later, there were loud bangs as officers fired non-lethal ammunition at protesters a street over.
“This is all depressing,” he said. “When will they learn.”
Ana Pepe, 68, who lives between Broadway and Spring, came out about midnight and walked her dogs because they had been indoors all day. Looking at broken windows and graffiti, Pepe said she didn’t agree with what had occurred in her neighborhood.
“Half of these people don’t even live here. They’re just here to destroy things,” she said. “This doesn’t help their cause.”
TV footage showed police officers clashing with some protesters suspected of vandalizing a patrol car. Video also showed some protesters throwing debris and a trash can during tussles with officers.
Police repeatedly fired less-than-lethal weapons into the ground after some officers got into a struggle with demonstrators.
The marchers had gone past LAPD headquarters earlier Friday before converging on the steps of City Hall. Police then began making arrests at City Hall while pushing other demonstrators down Spring Street. At times, protesters threw objects at officers.
× Protesters took to the streets in Los Angeles for the third night in a row following the killing of George Floyd.
Mayor Eric Garcetti urged peaceful protest.
“We respect every Angeleno’s right to protest, but violence and vandalism hurts all,” he said on Twitter on Friday evening. “Let’s remember why we march, protect each other, and bring a peaceful end to a painful night.”
The killing of Floyd, a black man who died after a white Minneapolis police officer knelt on his neck earlier this week, has sparked protests across the country. On Wednesday night, demonstrators briefly shut down the 101 Freeway in the L.A. civic center.
Protestors in DTLA pic.twitter.com/4OleYQRj4t — Kelcie Pegher (@klcpegher) May 30, 2020
Los Angeles Police Chief Michel Moore tweeted, “In response to recent demonstrations, we stand with our community and rebuke any instance of police brutality. No one despises a bad cop more than a good cop.”
He added: “However, as we continue to facilitate spontaneous and planned protests, violence or property damage has no place here in L.A.”
In Northern California, protesters in San Jose temporarily shut down the 101 Freeway. Another group shut down the 880 Freeway in Oakland. Marchers also took to the streets in San Francisco.
Hundreds of demonstrators began marching at San Jose City Hall on Friday before running onto the 101 Freeway at Santa Clara Street. They briefly blocked freeway traffic before returning to downtown San Jose.
“One of our officers was injured and transported to a local hospital with non-life-threatening injuries,” San Jose Police Officer Gina Tepoorten said in an emailed statement. “We do not have all the details at this time.”
San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo said he understood the anger but urged peaceful protests.
“Anger and peaceful protest will always be appropriate responses to injustice; violence will never be,” Liccardo tweeted on Friday afternoon. “San Jose is united in outrage over the atrocious crime committed in Minneapolis and in sadness over George Floyd’s horrible death.”
Elsewhere in Southern California, nine people were arrested Thursday night at a protest in Fontana.
That event, which started in the 8400 block of Sierra Avenue about 6 p.m., initially involved about 50 demonstrators but grew to include about 100, police said in a news release.
Protesters blocked traffic and threw rocks at the windows of businesses and passing vehicles, according to investigators. Some windows at Fontana City Hall were damaged, police said.
Police declared the protest an unlawful assembly and ordered the demonstrators to disperse about 9 p.m. Some of the protesters refused and threw rocks at officers, prompting them to ask other agencies for help, police said.
It took officers more than an hour to break up the crowd, and nine people were arrested on suspicion of various offenses, police said. There was no immediate word on what charges they might face.
Protesters are escorted off the northbound 110 Freeway in downtown Los Angeles on Friday. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
In Minneapolis, protesters lobbed bottles, trampled a perimeter fence, broke windows and overran a police station. Crowds continued to ransack the station, burn cars and fire guns into the air early Friday.
Floyd’s deadly encounter with police began Monday night after he was accused of trying to use a counterfeit $20 bill at a grocery store.
Cellphone video of Floyd’s arrest outside the business shows Officer Derek Chauvin driving his knee into the 46-year-old’s neck as Floyd pleads that he can’t breathe. After several minutes, Floyd appears to lose consciousness, and a bystander can be heard yelling that Floyd’s nose is bleeding. Even as paramedics arrive to check Floyd’s pulse, Chauvin’s knee remains positioned on the man’s neck.
Chauvin was charged with third-degree murder and manslaughter on Friday.