The City Doth Protest Too Much? Hamlet Gets LA Curfew Exemption

Los Angeles, United States: It's a story of revenge, corruption and a quest for power -- William Shakespeare's "Hamlet" was playing Friday inside the curfew zone set up to control protests in Los Angeles.

Theater-goers with a valid ticket for the performance in Downtown LA were exempted from the overnight lockdown that has left much of the city center looking as ghostly as the banquet in Shakespeare's play about the prince of Denmark.

"The Los Angeles Mayor's Office has updated guidance on the Downtown LA area curfew and has granted an exception to allow individuals with tickets to an indoor venue to attend that event as scheduled," said an announcement on the Center Theatre Group's website.

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"Center Theatre Group, The Music Center, and the surrounding streets have not been directly impacted by protest or law enforcement activity."

Protests sprang up in Los Angeles last week over President Donald Trump's increased immigration raids as anger grew in the sprawling multicultural city.

Violence flared, notably on Sunday when autonomous cars were set on fire and rocks were burled at police, but the demonstrations have been mostly peaceful.

Trump, who has repeatedly exaggerated the scale of the protests, deployed 4,700 soldiers, including active duty Marines, in what he says is a necessary step to bring order.

Opponents accuse him of a power grab and say troops have no place in policing civilian protest.

A "No Kings" movement promises protests in more than 2,000 places across the country, including a large demonstration in Los Angeles, on Saturday.

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