Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti announced on Wednesday that, beginning this Friday, he is authorizing the city to cut off water and power to houses and businesses that host large “unauthorized” parties or other large gatherings.

(One wonders what type of authorized gatherings Garcetti would approve. Other that “peaceful protests,” of course.)

The mayor explained his decision this way:

“Recently we’ve seen the reports of some large parties and gatherings in flagrant violation of health orders. I am authorizing the city to shut off Los Angeles Department of Water and Power service in the egregious cases in which houses, businesses and other venues are hosting un-permitted large gatherings.

The consequences of these large parties ripple far beyond just those parties. They ripple throughout our entire community because the virus can quickly and easily spread.”

Noting that all bars and nightclubs have been close, Garcetti said “these large house parties have essentially become nightclubs in the hills” and often happen at homes that are vacant or used for short-term rentals.

BREAKING: L.A. Mayor Eric Garcetti announces he is authorizing the city to shut off water and power to any houses or businesses that are hosting any parties or unauthorized large gatherings. It will begin Friday night, and LAPD will respond, then contact DWP to cut it off @FOXLA

— Bill Melugin (@BillFOXLA) August 6, 2020

Garcetti’s announcement came after a large party on Mulholland Drive ended with a shooting that left one woman dead, and two others critically injured. Police told Fox 11 the party was gang related.

The move comes after a massive mansion party took place in #BeverlyCrest on Monday night. It ended with a shooting that left one woman dead and two other critically injured. Police tell us the party on Mulholland Drive was gang related. The party was not broken up. @FOXLA pic.twitter.com/9mLJuwD8iB

— Bill Melugin (@BillFOXLA) August 6, 2020

As reported by Newsweek, Los Angeles has been a major hotspot during California’s virus resurge, with 200,000 new cases as of Wednesday. Based on recent data, California has experienced around 500,000 cases and nearly 10,000 deaths since the pandemic began.

Twitterers who abhor such perceived power grabs by government officials were understandably up in arms over the news, with some questioning the legality of Garcetti’s order.

Does he realize that this blatantly violates fire code and insurance regulations?

— Tim Rege (@The_Rege) August 6, 2020

A government official denying access to public utilities?

This is quite the escalation, and may be illegal

— Davey Jones (@titusxpullo) August 6, 2020

I’m just a country lawyer but this seems, uh, unlawful.

— steve walker (@swalker3453) August 6, 2020

Fox 11’s Bill Melugin tweeted that Garcetti said his decision is “rooted in strong law.” “We know we can do this,” he said.

Our anchor @Elex_Michaelson asked Mayor Garcetti about the legality of this. Garcetti responded that these gatherings are breaking the law. He says this decision is “rooted in strong law” after consultation w/ city attorneys. “We know we can do this,” he says. @FOXLA

— Bill Melugin (@BillFOXLA) August 6, 2020

“Strong law” and “city attorneys” aside, what happens if a fire breaks out in a residence or business at which Garcetti and his goons have shut off the water, and people die? “See you in court, Mr. Mayor” is exactly what would happen. Is Garcetti suggesting he and the city would win that case? I’m not a lawyer, nor do I play one on TV, but I’d bet on the person or group who filed the wrongful death lawsuit.

“Blessed” pointed to the obvious hypocrisy of Garcetti’s order.

What will Garcetti do to the protesters, rioters, Antifa, BLM? They’re always in large groups. It seems like Garcetti is breaking the law. Hope people start suing these power hungry elected officials. This is not a communist country.

— Blessed (@jrw1910) August 6, 2020

Other Twitterers compared Garcetti’s order to Communism.

Welcome to China.

— Yossi Gestetner (@YossiGestetner) August 6, 2020

This is communist stuff. My Spanish teacher at the University of Miami was born and raised in Cuba, and they also send cops to your house when they think that you’re having too many people over for company.

— Ralph Sasson (@Jewishprudence1) August 6, 2020

This is what an actual authoritarian government looks like but most of y’all will turn a blind eye.

— Ryan Duke (@dukegsu) August 6, 2020

Speaking of the resurge, Red State’s Jennifer Van Laar in mid-June reported on the Los Angeles Times claim that the number of COVID cases began to rise due the re-opening the city, with no mention of the protests and riots that continued to plague the city.

Thousands gathering at LA’s Pan Pacific Park for @BLMLA‘s protest right now. Whereas last night’s riots were in downtown LA, this neighborhood is slightly more bougie & white. #BLMLA pic.twitter.com/ww5qakTKyk

— Yoonj Kim (@YoonjKim) May 30, 2020

Student-led march at @UCLA today for #GeorgeFloyd, Black lives, a Black Student Resource Center, and an Administration that never again allows public education facilities like UCLA Jackie Robinson Stadium and others as police staging sites. pic.twitter.com/Ksh69z21q8

— Andrés (@_andresLA) June 4, 2020

In anther reported, titled Mayor Garcetti, Here’s the Heartbreaking List of of What L.A. Residents Have Suffered While ‘Protesters’ Got a Free Pass, Van Laar detailed multiple examples of personal anguish suffered by area residents, while the protests continued, unabated.

Among them:

• The middle-aged woman who worries daily about her mother who’s in an Alzheimer’s unit and unable to effectively communicate her needs to the staff because she was admitted only weeks before “no visiting” orders went into effect at the nursing home.
• The man whose twin brother died March 4 of lung failure caused by “the flu” who still hasn’t been able to give his brother a funeral and a proper burial.
• The man whose sweetheart of 55 years almost died from chemotherapy complications, who had to wait in alone, in the parking lot of the hospital, in the middle of the night for more than four hours waiting to find out what happened after he dropped her off, unconscious, at the emergency room door.
• The young bride who sat alone in a cold, sterile examination room as she found out that her baby had died in utero, as her husband watched via FaceTime, unable to comfort his wife and hold her hand as they cried.
• That same young husband, who had to drop his wife off at the door of the surgery center and leave her to wait alone for the necessary D&C procedure.
• The parents who found out too late that quarantine-imposed isolation led their child back to drugs, and are now faced with – at some point – burying a child who died of an accidental drug overdose.

Here’s the thing. While extreme situations often call for extreme measures, Garcetti, and various other Democrat mayors and governors across the country, have been as hypocritical, and often heavy-handed, as can be, particularly since the early days of the George Floyd protests, which gave way to the violence and riots that still plague cities like Portland, Oregon, on a nightly basis.

While church services have been banned, protests and riots have continued. While weddings have rescheduled, protests and riots have continued. And when everyday Americans have died, funerals have been banned, attendance limited, or other plans made.

A week ago, I reported on CNN’s  hyperbolic coverage of “grim numbers” and “stern warnings” relative to public gatherings. CNN being CNN, “The Most Trusted Name in News” failed to even mention protests and riots during its report — let alone, the personal sacrifices everyday Americans have been forced to make.

Earlier this week, I reported about a segment on CNN in which a regular contributor declared that people who refuse to wear masks should be put on a “no-fly list for terror suspects.”

I included in the piece the following tweet from a man whose dad died in the wake of the death of Rep. John Lewis (D-AL), for whom the Democrat mayor of Washington, D.C., made an exception and allowed a large funeral.

“I get it,” the man wrote, “My dad wasn’t important. So it’s ok to limit his funeral to 10 people tomorrow.”

I get it. My dad wasn’t important. So it’s ok to limit his funeral to 10 people tomorrow. pic.twitter.com/9MCAlNrRK4

— brink (@brinkofill) July 30, 2020

Maybe if Democrats like Eric Garcetti and D.C. Mayor Murial Bowser were more consistent in their actions — particularly as it relates to ongoing “protests” — fewer people would call them out over what is now nothing more than blatant bias. Then again, if pigs could fly…

H/T ~ Twitchy