Los Angeles county extends curfew as George Floyd protests continue

Local authorities instituted a curfew on Wednesday for the fourth night in a row in Los Angeles County as protests over the death of George Floyd, an African American man, in police custody continue across the area, reported Xinhua news agency.

The most populous county in the United States, with a population of over 10 million, will be under a countywide curfew that runs from 9 pm local time Wednesday through 5 am Thursday, according to a statement from the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors.

"Tonight's curfew will start later than the curfew in previous nights as the County assesses public safety needs on a daily basis. Residents, unless otherwise noted, are asked to stay in their home during the curfew," said the statement.

Any violation of the order is a misdemeanor, punishable by a fine not to exceed 1,000 US dollars or by imprisonment for a period not to exceed six months, or both, according to the terms of the curfew.

Kathryn Barger, chair of the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors, expressed her thanks to local residents for their "continued patience and understanding as we support peaceful protestors" in a tweet.

Some cities in the area, such as Santa Monica, Beverly Hills and Culver City, also issued their own stricter citywide curfew orders Wednesday in response to days of civil unrest.

Protests were largely peaceful in the area on Tuesday as thousands of protesters took to the streets to express their anger over the killing of the unarmed Minnesota black man by police.

Multiple protests over the death of Floyd are taking place or expected to be held in cities across Southern California on Wednesday.

--BERNAMA