Los Angeles county and city officials on Monday addressed recent protests and street violence prompted by the death of George Floyd at the hands of Minnesota police officers one week ago, saying they support peaceful demonstrations but will not tolerate criminal activity.
“There is racism in this country. But looting and breaking the law in violent fashion will not bring along the change we want to see,” said Los Angeles County District Attorney Jackie Lacey during a Monday virtual press conference.
Lacey described the death of Floyd, an African-American, who was pinned down by a white officer on his neck until he died as “disgusting and vile,” adding she was glad now-former Officer Derek Chauvin was charged.
Los Angeles Police Chief Michel Moore extended an invitation to leaders of Black Lives Matter to sit down and talk about law enforcement reforms. He said LAPD has improved race relations and its use-of-force activities since the early 1990s.
“To BLM (Black Lives Matter), I say sit down and talk and find our way out of this situation,” Moore said during the afternoon press briefing in Los Angeles.
The protests turned violent Saturday and Sunday, hitting hard the Fairfax District, downtown Los Angeles and the cities of Long Beach and Santa Monica. City leaders spoke about the shop owners coming back to burned-out buildings in tears.
Moore, who apologized to business owners in the city affected by looting and rioting, said 88 buildings on Melrose Avenue were lost.
He said some 2,000 National Guard troops will be deployed to the city of Los Angeles within the next 24 hours.
Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva said those who rioted en masse did so during the COVID-19 pandemic, which could spike the number of coronavirus cases in the next few weeks in the county.
He said sheriff deputies, LAPD officers and the National Guard troops will allow non-violent marches but at the same time they are working to keep residents safe.
The county has established a state of emergency and has called for another curfew beginning at 6 pm. Monday, June 1, through 6 a.m. Tuesday, June 2.
“The rule of law is present throughout Los Angeles County,” the sheriff said. “We will assure (that) everyone can assembly peacefully and businesses can be open again, and those business owners can put food on the table.”
Some members of the press asked if more could have been done sooner to protect those businesses that were looted and burned.
“Hopefully, we will get to the point where we will be ahead of this instead of reacting,” Villanueva said. “To lose more jobs and more livlihoods for the purpose that has nothing to do with the tragic murder of George Floyd is inexcusable. We are going to put an end to that.”
