Garcetti announces the departure of the National Guard on Sunday, June 7.
After a week filled with dozens of peaceful protests across Los Angeles, Mayor Eric Garcetti has called off the extra enforcement and commended the city for its work in building a better future for the citizens. However, some units will remain close until June 10 in case any unrest arises, he said in an announcement.
CA National Guard units will leave L.A. this evening, with a small number stationed nearby until June 10 if needed.
I’m proud L.A. residents are leading a peaceful and powerful movement to build a fair, just, and equitable city.
Full statement: https://t.co/EwtOnZlBNz
— MayorOfLA (@MayorOfLA) June 7, 2020
The Guard was initially called in by Garcetti on May 30, after looting and violence took place during Black Lives Matter protests—although, these are believed to be separate from the protests. There were around 1,000 troops in the L.A. at some point, trucks lined up along major landmarks across the city carrying intimidating weapons.
national guard on hollywood blvd, as of right now this protest is peaceful pic.twitter.com/pSqTSAv6fS
— MIKO 💔 (@ORKEY) June 2, 2020
Not all officials were on board with the decision, with District 8 councilman Marqueece Harris-Dawson tweeting that “soliciting the national guard to join forces with LAPD is not what we need. It’s clear that our fear is real that additional law enforcement will only further violence against people of color.”
Featured Image: @major_feels