OC law enforcement brace for protests in Anaheim, Costa Mesa

Law enforcement brace for protests in Orange County

Orange County law enforcement braced for several protests Monday evening as police brutality protesters staged gatherings in Anaheim and Costa Mesa.

ORANGE COUNTY, Calif. - Orange County law enforcement braced for several protests Monday evening as police brutality protesters staged gatherings in Anaheim and Costa Mesa.

Anaheim PD tweeted on social media: "The crowd remains peaceful and is comprised of about 700 people."

Costa Mesa declared a curfew from 7 p.m. until 5:30 a.m. Tuesday.

City Manager Lori Ann Farrell Harrison ordered the curfew based on social media posts calling for protesters to gather at the South Coast Plaza shopping mall around South Coast Drive and Bear Street.

South Coast Plaza, which has been shut down for several months due to the COVID-19 pandemic, had been scheduled to reopen Monday, but that plan was canceled in light of the social unrest roiling the nation since the in-custody killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis on Memorial Day.

Peaceful protest near the South Coast Plaza mall in Costa Mesa

A peaceful protest near the South Coast Plaza mall in Costa Mesa.

About 200 protesters gathered at Anaheim's La Palma Park at 1151 N. LaPalma Parkway this afternoon, and another protest was expected to start about 5 or 6 p.m. around City Hall, Sgt. Shane Carringer said.

Protests were held Sunday in Huntington Beach, where an unlawful assembly was declared, as well as in San Clemente and Santa Ana, where police arrested 10 people in the evening hours on the second consecutive day of demonstrations in that city.

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Mayor Miguel Pulido announced a citywide curfew in Santa Ana after 250to 300 people gathered Sunday night. Some participants hurled fireworks at officers, several stores were looted and a couple of small fires were ignited, according to police.

Two officers were taken to an area hospital, where they were treated and released for minor injuries, according to Santa Ana police Cpl. Anthony Bertagna.

Also on Sunday, a protest broke out at the beach in San Clemente, said Carrie Braun, a spokeswoman for the Orange County Sheriff's Department.

There were heated words between protesters and counter-protesters but there were no arrests.

FOX 11's Shelly Insheiwat contributed