Latest news with #localemergency
Yahoo
11-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Mayor Karen Bass Declares 'Local Emergency,' Orders Curfew to Address 'Crisis in DTLA'
Mayor Karen Bass Declares 'Local Emergency,' Orders Curfew to Address 'Crisis in DTLA' originally appeared on L.A. Mag. Mayor Karen Bass announced a curfew for Downtown Los Angeles after five straight days of violence and mayhem that has marred much of the neighborhood around the federal buildings where immigrants rounded up in a series of raids are being held and prosecuted. 'The curfew will be in place from 8 p.m. tonight until 6 a.m. tomorrow,' announced Bass, adding that it could last for several days and would be reevaluated tomorrow. 'Everyone must abide by this curfew.'Bass said a 'local emergency' has been declared and that the curfew was necessary because of what she called "extensive widespread vandalism" that includes profanity-laced graffiti scrawled on City Hall, an LAPD building, and rampant destruction in public parks and at private businesses. Bass said she was dismayed that 23 businesses were looted, while multiple historical landmarks in Little Tokyo along with immigrant-owned businesses, were heavily damaged. Los Angeles Police Department Chief Jim McDonnell said that anyone who violates the curfew "will be arrested." The curfew's boundaries will encompass the area encircled by the 5 Freeway, the 110 Freeway, and the 10 Freeway and end where the 5 Freeway and the 110 Freeway merge. "The curfew is a necessary measure to protect lives and safeguard property, following several consecutive days of growing unrest throughout the city," McDonnell said. "Since Saturday, we have seen a concerning escalation in unlawful and dangerous behavior."Bass said people who live or work in Downtown and credentialed media representatives have a limited exemption from the curfew. Those experiencing homelessness are also exempt from the curfew, McDonnell said. The mayor had a message for President Trump, who has ordered 700 Marines and as many as 2,000 National Guard soldiers into Los Angeles to deal with what he called lawlessness. "If you want to restore peace in the city, end the raids." This story was originally reported by L.A. Mag on Jun 11, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
11-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Bass enacts curfew for parts of downtown L.A. to stem chaotic protests
Mayor Karen Bass has announced a curfew will be put into effect for one square mile of downtown Los Angeles following four nights of sporadically chaotic protests during which the LAPD arrested more than 150 people. The curfew will extend from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. It will apply to the area of downtown from the 5 Freeway to the 110 Freeway and from the 10 Freeway to where the 110 Freeway and the 5 Freeway merge, Bass said. The mayor made the announcement Tuesday evening. She had suggested earlier in the day that she would consider a curfew if violence broke out again. She said the curfew would not be necessary citywide, as the protests have been largely centered in the downtown area. "I wanted to let the city know that I have declared a local emergency and issued a curfew for downtown Los Angeles to stop the vandalism, to stop the looting," said Bass at an evening news conference. Bass said she expected the curfew to last for several days. The decision on when to end it will be made in consultation with law enforcement and elected leaders, she said. The curfew does not apply to individuals living within the designated area, individuals experiencing homelessness, credentialed media or public safety and emergency personnel, said Los Angeles Police Chief Jim McDonnell. The curfew comes as arrests have increased every night since protests began in response to the Trump administration's immigration crackdown in Southern California. No one was arrested by Los Angeles police on Friday night, but 27 were arrested Saturday, 40 were arrested Sunday, and 114 were arrested Monday, according to Los Angeles Police Chief Jim McDonnell. Bass and other elected officials in Los Angeles have repeatedly asked protesters to remain nonviolent and refrain from spray-painting graffiti or otherwise vandalizing or burglarizing businesses. But each morning, new, often explicit, graffiti has adorned buildings across downtown. Protests were growing again on Tuesday afternoon, with people spilling onto the 101 Freeway downtown, temporarily blocking traffic in both directions on the busy roadway. People squeezed through holes in fences that were blocking the freeway on-ramp near Commercial Street. The crowd was met with lines of CHP officers who used batons to push them back. Some protesters lobbed water bottles. At least one protester was detained by CHP. Protesters previously shut down the 101 Freeway for several hours on Sunday, during which time the CHP made 19 arrests, according to agency spokesperson Officer Alec Pereyda. By 4:30 p.m. Tuesday, freeway traffic appeared to be moving freely in the northbound lanes and slowly in the southbound lanes. Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
CBC
05-06-2025
- Politics
- CBC
B.C. sends extra police to Williams Lake in response to council's state of emergency proposal
City council in Williams Lake, B.C., won't be declaring a state of local emergency to respond to street disorder after the provincial government promised to immediately deploy more police to help with growing concerns. Some councillors in the community of about 23,000 people, 320 kilometres northeast of Vancouver, had expressed interest in declaring a state of local emergency to address local crime, which they said ranged from break-ins and public drug use to theft and vandalism, from a small number of repeat offenders. Such a declaration could provide the municipality with "emergency powers" such as suspending bylaws, ordering road closures or restricting public gatherings, according to a staff report. But at a special council meeting on June 3, Mayor Surinderpal Rathor announced the Ministry of Public Safety had requested the Cariboo-Chilcotin crime reduction unit be immediately deployed to Williams Lake "to assess the situation and develop operational plans." Rathor said the unit could arrive in town as soon as Wednesday. Because of the provincial commitment, Rathor, who had previously supported considering a state of local emergency, suggested councillors "hold your horses for at least [a] month or so." "Emergency would not fly right now," he said and recommended council take no further action on the declaration. Staff told council that local front-line emergency service agencies, including the RCMP, B.C. Emergency Health Services and Interior Health did not see a benefit in declaring a state of local emergency. "Local emergency response stakeholders stressed that the challenges facing Williams Lake (such as limitations in mental health support, addiction services and housing) require more than temporary measures," said the staff report. "The group expressed a strong call for broad, co-ordinated systemic reforms." Coun. Scott Nelson, who originally put forward the motion to consider a state of local emergency, said the public health situation is dire. "There are people on our streets that are mentally ill that should not be on the streets of Williams Lake," he said, and added, "They're going to hurt somebody." He listed a variety of recent incidents, including fires in garbage bins, a break-in at a law firm and a related robbery at a 7-Eleven. WATCH | Williams Lake mayor considers state of local emergency as response to street disorder: 7 days ago Duration 7:42 The city council of Williams Lake, B.C., is considering a curfew from 11 p.m. to 6 a.m. and escorting people displaying public intoxication or severe mental health issues to the hospital. Mayor Surinderpal Rathor says he hopes this will help the city's reputation and discipline repeat offenders. Coun. Angie Delainey didn't support the declaration but recommended the city invite partners, including the regional district and local First Nations, to review public safety programs and discuss funding strategies. "I don't think it's the sole responsibility of the municipality to pay these costs that we know have been downloaded to us," she said. CBC has reached out to the Ministry of Public Safety for more information on its response to Williams Lake council's concerns and is waiting to hear back. Coun. Michael Moses said he was concerned council wasn't properly consulting the local First Nations or LGBTQ+ communities or unhoused people. "If we proceed with this against the will of First Nations and other marginalized peoples in our community, then I want you to be wary of this path of discrimination that this council will be choosing and the repercussions of it." Nelson's motion was also criticized by Xatśūll First Nation and the B.C. Civil Liberties Association for its potential to criminalize struggling people.
CBC
29-05-2025
- Health
- CBC
Williams Lake, B.C., wants to enact state of emergency over public disorder
Social Sharing City council in Williams Lake, B.C., is looking to impose a state of local emergency over an increase in street disorder and violence — but the proposal has received pushback, and it's unclear if the B.C. government would fully support it. Coun. Scott Nelson put forward a motion on Tuesday to ask staff for options regarding a state of local emergency in response to "increased threats to public safety" in the city of around 20,000 people located 324 kilometres northeast of Vancouver. Nelson and the city's mayor, Surinderpal Rathor, say that there has been a sharp increase in public drug use, mental health challenges and fires in the city's downtown core, and the motion gives the city options to deal with it. But civil libertarians and a local First Nation have expressed opposition to the motion, and the province has not said if it would support it. "If they are a person who the RCMP feels may need to go to the hospital because of mental illnesses, they're going to go to the hospital and we're asking that they be looked at, put into involuntary treatment," said Nelson, describing his motion on CBC's Daybreak South. The councillor says that multiple B.C. municipalities are struggling with crime and mental health issues, and the province hasn't stepped up to the plate. He's calling for a "clean sweep" of the city to deal with repeat offenders. "The municipalities don't have the wraparound services, don't have the resources, and yet these people are laying fires to buildings," he said. "These people are threatening their own lives. "It's becoming chaotic, and the province has downloaded this. We need to upload this back into provincial hands so that the appropriate resources can be put in place to help people with mental health issues." Rathor supported the motion, and said he sympathized with people who needed help, but there was a need to protect the business community in the B.C. Interior city. "It would give extra power to the RCMP, if there's people wandering aimlessly here and there ... they can take them to the hospital or wherever the support is needed," he said. WATCH | Rathor expresses support for state of emergency: 10 hours ago Duration 7:42 The city council of Williams Lake, B.C., is considering a curfew from 11 p.m. to 6 a.m. and escorting people displaying public intoxication or severe mental health issues to the hospital. Mayor Surinderpal Rathor says he hopes this will help the city's reputation and discipline repeat offenders. Nelson's motion passed 4-3 in council on Tuesday night. While it doesn't provide an exact timeline for when the state of emergency could happen, the councillor said Wednesday it could be imposed within the next two days. Increase in fires Nelson's motion cites ongoing instances of assaults, open drug use and public indecency, among other things, as being behind the proposed state of emergency. It further alleges that there was an arson that caused a loss of four businesses, and park washrooms vandalized numerous times, in the last few months. The councillor says the city approved $100,000 to police last month in order to provide them more resources to deal with the issue, but the state of local emergency would potentially empower them to do more. "We know that we've got some serious issues with people who have got mental health issues walking our streets right now that should not be on the streets," Nelson said. RCMP spokesperson Cpl. Madonna Saunderson said there were ongoing discussions regarding the councillor's concerns, but no decisions had been made yet. "The Williams Lake RCMP continue to meet with city council to work collaboratively on identifying viable options to address ongoing and/or emerging public safety issues," she said. Nelson added that city staff were now working to ensure police, emergency services, and the Interior Health Authority were prepared for the state of emergency. Proposal receives blowback Nelson's motion is not without its critics. The Xatsull First Nation, whose reserve is just north of the city, sent a letter to council expressing strong opposition to the motion. "We stand firmly against these measures — not only because of the disproportionate harm they pose to Indigenous people, but because they risk further marginalizing and criminalizing all people in our city who are struggling," the letter from Chief Rhonda Williams read. "These proposed actions would do nothing to address the root causes of the challenges faced in our community," the letter adds. The B.C. Civil Liberties Association (BCCLA) says the motion is simply a "non-starter" in its eyes, especially regarding the direction for police to transport people to hospitals for involuntary treatment. "The Mental Health Act already exists and already has mechanisms ... where [authorities] do have very extreme powers to detain people," said BCCLA policy director Meghan McDermott. "So to suggest that something even more than that is needed, and something as broad as this, is just really dangerous and not the way that our Constitution contemplates life in Canada," she added. While any local government in B.C. can declare a local state of emergency for up to 14 days, if they establish what additional powers they need, it is up to the province to consider extending it. And so far, the province hasn't indicated whether it supports Williams Lake council's bid to declare a state of emergency. Terry Yung, the minister of state for community safety and integrated services, told CBC News that public safety was important to his government and that more concrete plans would be released after talking to Williams Lake council. "In July, in two months, we're going to add 40 emergency shelter beds in Williams Lake," he said. "So we have programs ongoing, but I look forward to actually understanding more challenges on the ground for Williams Lake after consultation."
CTV News
27-05-2025
- Climate
- CTV News
The highways now open in Whiteshell Provincial Park
More roads in Whiteshell Provincial Park have opened as wildfire fighting efforts continue in Manitoba's east. More highways in Whiteshell Provincial Park are reopening following wildfire-related closures earlier this month. The province announced Monday that Highway 307 from Highway 11 to Betula Lake has reopened to traffic after it was closed due to the wildfire threat. Highway 301 from Falcon Lake to the Highway 1 underpass has been opened but is restricted to local traffic. However, three highways in the park remain closed to all traffic due to the conditions, including: -Highway 44 from West Hawk Lake to Rennie; -Highway 301 from the Highway 1 underpass to PTH 44 at West Hawk; and -Highway 307 from Betula Lake to Rennie. The province announced Sunday that residents and cottagers of the Pointe Du Bois area could return as progress had been made in fighting wildfires in the area near Whiteshell and Nopiming provincial parks. 17 wildfires currently burning in Manitoba As of Monday afternoon, the province said there are 17 active wildfires across the province, up from 12 reported in Friday's bulletin. The Manitoba Wildfire Service says most of the province has a high fire danger, while the northwest corner is listed as extreme. In northern Manitoba, the province is dealing with three fires of note. One roughly five kilometres away from Cross Lake is approximately 1,625 hectares in size, out of control, and a state of local emergency has been declared. The community has started evacuations of priority one individuals. Another fire, located six kilometres from Lynn Lake, is 7,064 hectares and out of control. The province is also dealing with an out-of-control fire two kilometres from Wabowden, where a state of local emergency has been declared. The fire is 37 hectares in size. Evacuations have also taken place in Sherridon, where a fire burns 18 kilometres away from the community. The out-of-control fire is roughly 6,320 hectares. The fire near Bird River remains out of control and is 121,750 hectares. A state of local emergency in Nopiming, Wallace Lake, South Atikaki and Manigotagan River provincial parks has been extended until June 20. A full fire ban in all provincial parks in Manitoba remains in effect. -With files from CTV's Devon McKendrick
