Hey my beautiful Queens! We have some steaming hot tea trickling down the boulevards of Boulevard City and trust me, it ain’t a Hollywood script. Cool as cucumber, Los Angeles Mayor, Karen Bass, just upped the drama factor with a freshly announced citywide curfew ‘cos the City of Angels has been dressing up a bit like the City of Angst lately, thanks to the anti-ICE protests that have taken a walk on the wild side.
Let’s get this chronicle straight for you: the clock chimed 8 on Tuesday when Madam Bass put her foot down, turned Cinderella on the city and sent everyone home. Oh, and not for a minute to think she left room for bargaining. You got to be in until the rooster crows at 6, Wednesday. This major move, like a Beyoncé surprise album drop, came out of nowhere and now everyone involved — from Rosa’s Taco Truck to the impassioned protesters — is feeling the stir in this melting pot that is L.A. Indeed, the city that usually wakes up to dreams is now rolling up the sidewalks as night falls.
Ladies, this is not an episode from ‘Madam Secretary’. This right here is our reality, where the echoes of the pleas and protests calling for an end to the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) saga are bouncing off the vibey walls of a silenced city.
Now, when the sun dips behind the glamour-grunge dichotomy, the only pounding rhythm racing faster than hearts in L.A is the tick of the clock, reminding everyone to tug down the shutters, turn the locks, and retreat. Seems like the usually bustling, humming streets are taking a beauty sleep tonight after a flaming dance with defiance.
But hey, this isn’t the first time an American city tucked itself into bed early. We’ve seen it during street showdowns in the time of Civil Rights movements, and we’ve seen it last summer in the wake of the Black Lives Matter protests. When the roots of change tap against the underbelly of unrest, curfews may present themselves as necessary evils.
That’s the tea for today, but remember, curfews end and the sun rises. Pamper your spirit and gear up, folks! Cause no matter how impassioned the night, morning will come, and with it, fresh rays of hope for justice and equality.
In the mingled bedlam and silence that L.A. is now tucked in, remember the unshakeable truth: we are the change, we are the waking dream of justice, and we’re going nowhere. So hold onto your dreams, your caus and your sass, honey. Cause when L.A. wakes to a new day, so does the fight for a better and more inclusive world.
That’s all for now, Skankitties. Stay fierce, stay fabulous, be the change you want to see, but stay safe! Until next time, au revoir from your favorite around-the-corner news gal.
