Context:

Mayor Karen Bass of Los Angeles downplays recent anti-ICE riots, stressing that they are confined to a small area of the city and bear no resemblance to the 1992 Rodney King riots. Despite the unrest and curfew, the protests are limited to one or two square miles in a city of 500 square miles, and the mayor highlights the economic impact of ICE raids on key industries. The riots have resulted in injuries to both police and protesters, with law enforcement deploying tear gas as violence escalated. Mayor Bass criticizes the economic strain caused by the raids, emphasizing the reliance on immigrant labor in sectors such as construction and fashion. The LAPD issued dispersal orders as the protests turned violent, warning of potential discomfort from less-lethal measures used to control the crowd.

Dive Deeper:

• Mayor Karen Bass states that the anti-ICE riots in Los Angeles are significantly smaller in scale compared to the 1992 Rodney King riots, noting that they occur within just one to two square miles of the city.

• The mayor acknowledges injuries sustained by both police officers and protesters during the riots, which include actions such as throwing rocks, bricks, and bottles at law enforcement.

• Bass emphasizes the negative economic impact of ICE raids, highlighting the importance of immigrant labor in sustaining the construction, fashion, and restaurant industries in Los Angeles.

• As the protests turned violent, the Los Angeles Police Department resorted to tear gas and issued dispersal orders to manage the escalating situation, warning individuals of discomfort from less-lethal measures.

• The riots, despite the unrest and arrests, are portrayed by Mayor Bass as being overblown and not indicative of widespread chaos across the city, contrasting media portrayals with the reality experienced by most Angelenos.