Since this started last Friday, elected Democrats and their media allies have been doing their best to downplay the riots in Los Angeles. But as things continued to get out of hand a gulf emerged between what authorities were saying and doing and how the media was describing things.

For instance, here's CNN's Brian Stelter assuring us everything in LA is mostly fine yesterday.

Offline, in real-world Los Angeles, most Angelenos are having a perfectly normal day.

But online, the fires and riots are still raging.

Seeking clicks, clout and chaos, unvetted social media accounts are preying on fears about where last weekend’s clashes will lead...

— Brian Stelter (@brianstelter) June 10, 2025

He co-wrote an article for CNN making this same case.

Hyperpartisan and hyperactive accounts on X have been wildly overstating the actual volume of unrest in Southern California, furthering the online confusion about the offline situation...

As some protests in L.A. turned ugly on Sunday evening, Senator Ted Cruz shared a shocking video clip of L.A. Police Department cars on fire and wrote, “this… is… not… peaceful.”

The Texas senator’s X post implied the video clip was brand-new, but it was actually from 2020, when the racial justice protests tipped into civil unrest.

Cruz was reacting to actor James Woods, one of the prominent conservative X users who promoted the five-year-old fire video. Newsom responded to Woods: “This video is from 2020.”

Adding to the confusion, vandals did damage several police cars and set several self-driving cars on fire Sunday evening. But the viral clip reposted by Woods was old.

So there were cars being burned but not the ones seen in the video. Those were from the last riots. Fair enough I guess, but it sounds like the damage isn't really being overstated then since cars were being burned and that wasn't peaceful protest.

Here's NBC hack Jacob Soboroff taking the same approach by highlighting a peaceful interfaith rally of some kind and downplaying the riots.

there’s a lot of talk about how “gnarly” things are in L.A. right now. not at this interfaith vigil a few blocks from the protest. this is nice. ❤️ pic.twitter.com/ywq3P4TPCW

— Jacob Soboroff (@jacobsoboroff) June 11, 2025

Soboroff was last seen helping MSNBC lose a defamation claim after he co-wrote a bogus story about a doctor collecting women's uteruses at an ICE detention facility. Those claims were false but unfortunatley for MSNBC several of their hosts, including Rachel Maddow, jumped on Soboroff's story and spread it on air.

In any case, this media approach to crime and rioting is one we've seen before. It was used in 2020 to downplay the BLM riots around the country. Then too there were lefty journalists arguing that only a small portion of major American cities were being looted or set on fire while most of the city (during the day) was fine.

And here's Jimmy Kimmel making this his whole monologue:

Kimmel says in Hollywood things are mostly peaceful — & endorses the uprising:

"I’m very angry, I have to say. I cannot believe what’s going on. I knew it was going to be bad, I did not know it was going to be this bad. People who have lived here their whole lives, people who… pic.twitter.com/S5YWphJopd

— Tom Elliott (@tomselliott) June 11, 2025

So that's the basic argument. Everything is normal. Nothing to see here except Trump's overreaction.

Meanwhile, outside the left-wing media talking points, Mayor Karen Bass declared an emergency for downtown LA yesterday and announced a curfew. In her announcement she cited the looting and vandalism that had been escalating downtown.

“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."

Of course protesters came out to violate the curfew.

Now past the 8pm curfew in downtown Los Angeles, protesters are still out by the 300 North Los Angeles Federal Building pic.twitter.com/GR67yKzo2s

— Brendan Gutenschwager (@BGOnTheScene) June 11, 2025

They were eventually ordered to disperse and threatened with arrest.

“You will be subject to arrest if you don’t leave the area now” Police make an announcement near 300 North Los Angeles Federal Building pic.twitter.com/6fdJipUwKC

— Brendan Gutenschwager (@BGOnTheScene) June 11, 2025

Most of the crowd did eventually leave but still more than 200 people were arrested for violating the curfew last night.

The Los Angeles Police Department made more than 200 arrests during protests in downtown Los Angeles on Tuesday night, following the enforcement of a citywide curfew and reports of criminal activity.

While most people dispersed after officers arrived, police reported 203 arrests for failure to disperse. Authorities also reported 17 curfew-related arrests, three arrests for possession of a firearm, one for assault with a deadly weapon on a police officer, and one for discharging a laser at an LAPD helicopter...

Two LAPD officers were injured and received medical treatment, the department said. Police also deployed numerous less-lethal munitions during the crowd control efforts.

So there you have it. Last night was an improvement over previous nights, but that's only thanks to an emergency declaration, a curfew, a massive police reponse and the fact it was a Tuesday night. This probably isn't over yet and could resume escalating this coming weekend. We'll have to wait a couple more days to see how it pans out.

Mayor Karen Bass is imposing a curfew on Los Angeles to manage the out of control peacefulness. pic.twitter.com/C6z40QyHFS

— Charlie Kirk (@charliekirk11) June 11, 2025