Thousands of George Floyd protesters in LA won't be charged for violating curfews, prosecutors say
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Los Angeles prosecutors on Monday announced they will not bring charges against protesters who violated the city’s curfew and other police orders to disperse during demonstrations sparked by the death of George Floyd.
City Attorney Mike Feuer said his office will develop an alternative court that will not punish those cited for violating curfew or failing to obey orders to leave protests.
District Attorney Jackie Lacey said she won't file charges in protest misdemeanor cases from other parts of Los Angeles County.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Demonstrators being arrested for curfew violations in downtown Los Angeles during a protest over the death of George Floyd. (AP, File)
The announcement came amid nationwide demonstrations against police brutality and racial injustice in the wake of Floyd’s death while in police custody. Los Angeles saw the largest number of protest arrests in the U.S. tracked by The Associated Press, which tallied over 10,000 people arrested nationwide.
LA police and sheriff's deputies arrested more than 3,000 people over days of mostly peaceful protests. Most citations happened in Los Angeles for violating curfew or dispersal orders.
The city imposed curfews over five nights, and the county and surrounding cities ordered people to stay home over several nights amid protests that sometimes devolved into looting and violence.
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The city ended its curfew after the American Civil Liberties Union sued on behalf of Black Lives Matter for suppressing First Amendment guarantees to political protest and freedom of movement.
Feuer did not provide specifics on how he would handle the cases but said there would some type of forum to bring protesters together with police and others to "create an environment where participants really listen to each other."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Prosecutors said they would keep pursuing charges for looting, burglary, vandalism and any violence. Lacey already has charged more than 60 people with felonies related to the protests, the majority for looting.
The decision not to bring charges followed a weekend of peaceful protests that continued Monday with funeral-style car processions in Floyd's memory through Southern California.
Mourners passing by the casket of George Floyd during a public visitation for Floyd at the Fountain of Praise church in Houston. (AP)
The processions were expected to culminate with a downtown Los Angeles memorial service for Floyd. A final public viewing for Floyd took place at a Houston church Monday; his funeral is scheduled for Tuesday.
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Officials announced Sunday that California National Guard troops were being pulled out of California cities that had requested them to back up police.
"After nearly a week assisting civil authorities on the streets of California, soldiers with the California National Guard will begin transitioning back to their home armories," the Guard said in a statement.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The Associated Press contributed to this report.