The 1992 Los Angeles riots, also known as the LA riots, the Rodney King uprising or the Rodney King riots, was sparked on April 29, 1992 when a mostly white jury acquitted four police officers accused in the videotaped beating of black motorist Rodney King. Thousands of people in Los Angeles, mainly young black and Latino males, joined in what has often been characterized as a race riot, involving mass law-breaking, including looting, arson and murder. In all 50 to 60 people were killed during the riots.
Underlying causes
In addition to the immediate trigger of the Rodney King verdict, there were many other factors cited as reasons for the unrest, including: the extremely high unemployment among residents of the South Central region of Los Angeles, California, which had been hit very hard by the nation-wide recession; a long-standing perception that the LAPD engaged in racial profiling and used excessive force, supported by an investigation led by former diplomat Warren Christopher; and specific anger over the light sentence given to a Korean shop-owner for the shooting of Latasha Harlins, a young African-American woman. Additionally, in the time between the public revelation of King's beating and the trial verdict, the two largest L.A. street gangs, the Crips and the Bloods, agreed to a truce with each other, and began working together to make political demands of the police and the LA political establishment, leading to the establishment of the Christopher Commission.
Racial tensions
Commentators on the eruption of violence emphasize tensions arising from the changing demographics of South Central as building factors to the riots. The racial makeup of historically black neighborhoods changed as Hispanics took up residency and Koreans bought formerly black owned liquor and small grocery stores. According to census data, in the historically black areas affected by the riots, the Hispanic population increased 119% over the decade leading up to the violence.[1] Economic competition between races in the labor force and in small enterprise provoked more racial animosity; in particular, the 1980s saw downtown Los Angeles' businesses fire most of their black-dominated janitorial staffs and replace them with Latino immigrants earning half the wages paid to their unionized black predecessors. The fracture between Korean businesses and the black residents they served was also especially pronounced. The black community complained of poor treatment by store owners and inflated prices.
Latasha Harlins shooting
Acrimony between Koreans and blacks peaked in a video documented incident involving a Korean woman, Soon Ja Du, shooting Latasha Harlins, a 15 year old black girl. The incident occurred on March 16, 1991, which shortly followed the Rodney King beating. Soon confronted Harlins over a $1.79 bottle of orange juice sticking outside of her backpack. The security video recording of the incident shows Soon tugging at Harlins' sweater during a verbal exchange before Harlins escalated by punching Soon four times in the face, hard enough to knock her to the floor, which Soon responded to by throwing a chair.[2] Harlins walks away before Soon fatally shoots her in the back. The black community was outraged after Soon was sentenced on November 15, 1991 to 5 years probation, community service, and fines after being convicted of voluntary manslaughter.
Rodney King trial
On March 3, 1991 African-American motorist Rodney King had been stopped in the Lake View Terrace district by Los Angeles police assisted by other law enforcement. King, who had a record of drunk driving and was believed to be under the influence of PCP, resisted arrest and was tasered, tackled, and beaten with nightsticks by four LAPD officers (three whites and one Hispanic) which was captured on videotape by a private citizen. The video became an international media sensation and a touchpoint for minority activists in Los Angeles and the United States. Eventually the Los Angeles district attorney charged the four with the use of excessive force in the beating. Due to the media coverage of the beating, the trial received a change of venue to a newly constructed courthouse in predominantly white Simi Valley, a Ventura County city. Contrary to popular belief, however, no Simi Valley residents served on the jury, which had been empaneled in Los Angeles County; the jury was, however, drawn from the nearby San Fernando Valley. On April 29, 1992, the jury returned an acquittal on all but one count.
The riots
The riots, beginning in the evening after the verdict, peaked in intensity over the next two days, but would ultimately continue for several days. Continuous television coverage, especially by helicopter news crews, riveted the country and shocked viewers around the world as parts of the city went up in flames, stores were openly looted, innocent bystanders (mainly whites and Koreans) were beaten, and rioters (mainly black) shot at police with assault weapons. A curfew and deployment of California National Guard troops began to control the situation; eventually federal troops would be sent to the city to quell disorder.
Estimates of the number of lives lost during the unrest vary between 50 and 60, with as many as 2,000 persons injured. Estimates of the material damage done vary between about $800 million and $1 billion. Approximately 3,600 fires were set, destroying 1,100 buildings, with fire calls coming once every minute at some points. About 10,000 people were arrested; about 42% were African-American, 44% Hispanic, 9% white, and 2% other. These numbers are proportional to the number of residents in the areas of Los Angeles where the events occurred, although they are not proportional to the racial make-up of Los Angeles as a whole. Stores owned by Korean and other Asian immigrants were widely targeted, although stores owned by whites and blacks were also targeted. Despite the race riot image the event retains, much of the looting and violence was done by young men, black, Hispanic and white, and much of the looting was opportunistic theft of luxury goods. Criminals used the anarchy to their own benefit, and street gangs settled scores with each other and with the police.
Smaller, concomitant unrest occurred in other United States cities, especially Las Vegas, Atlanta, and San Francisco, but also including Oakland, New York, Seattle, Chicago, Phoenix, Madison, and even the Canadian city of Toronto.
First day (Wednesday, April 29)
The unrest began at various points, intersecting with rush hour, as the news of the verdict spread. Protesters at the Los Angeles County Courthouse were generally peaceful, but protests at the Parker Center, the headquarters of the Los Angeles Police Department, resulted in several arrests. Police chief Daryl Gates, long criticized for perceived racism and corruption in the department, later drew sharp rebuke for attending a political fundraiser that evening. Long-established LAPD tactics and procedures held that the opening hours of a riot were critical, and that a full-force response was required. The LAPD did not respond quickly and decisively in the opening hours, however, and suffered persistent criticism as a result during and following the riots. Violence appeared quickly, especially in the historically black South Central neighborhood around the intersection of Florence and Normandie, which would soon be infamous.
Reginald Denny beating
In the late afternoon, Reginald Denny, a white truck driver stopped at a traffic light, was dragged from his vehicle and severely beaten by an angry mob of black youths as news helicopters hovered above, recording every blow, including a cinder block dropped on the head of the prostrate Denny. The police never appeared, having been ordered to withdraw for their own safety, although several assailants were later arrested and one sent to prison. Denny was rescued by black neighbors who, seeing the assault live on television, rushed to the scene. Denny would recover after brain surgery; due to the live coverage he remains the best-known victim of the riots.
Occurring just minutes after Denny was rescued and at the same intersection, another victim would be beaten on video tape. Fidel Lopez, a self-employed construction worker and Guatemalan immigrant, was ripped from his truck and robbed of nearly $2,000. A rioter would smash his forehead open with a car stereo as another rioter would attempt to slice his ear off. After Lopez blacked out, the crowd spray painted the married father's chest, torso and genitals black. Lopez would survive the attack after extensive surgery to reattach his partially severed ear and months of rehabilitation.
Arsonists struck in that neighborhood and others, taking out their anger on unguarded businesses. Looters threw bricks to smash windows and Molotov cocktails to start fires. Cars were torched to block intersections; others were carjacked and their drivers beaten. Snipers shot at rescue personnel. By darkness, stores were being openly looted and fires burned unfought as fire officials refused to send firemen into personal danger. The LAPD deployed in riot gear but were unseen in broad sections of the city.
Second day (Thursday, April 30)
By the second day the violence appeared widespread and unchecked. Open gun battles were televised as Korean shopkeepers, many of them veterans, took to using firearms to protect their businesses from crowds of looters. Organized response began to come together by mid-day. Fire crews began to respond backed by police escort. California Highway Patrol reinforcements were airlifted to the city. L.A. Mayor Tom Bradley declared a state of emergency and announced a dusk-to-dawn curfew. President George H.W. Bush spoke out against the rioting, stating that anarchy would not be tolerated. The California National Guard, which unfortunately had been advised not to expect civil disturbance, responded quickly by calling up some 2,000 soldiers, but could not get them to the city until nearly 24 hours had passed. Initially, they would only secure areas previously cleared of rioters by police. Later, they would actively provide firepower for law enforcement. The Los Angeles Times reported that several of the King jurors had fled their homes and that Rodney King had been placed under psychiatric care.
Third day (Friday, May 1)
The third day was punctuated by live footage of a shaken Rodney King asking, in a phrase that would become a sarcastic catchphrase, Can't we all get along? That morning, at 1:00 a.m., California Governor Pete Wilson had requested federal assistance, but it would not be ready until Saturday. State guard units (doubled to 4,000 troops), continued to move into the city in humvees. Additionally, a varied contingent of 1,700 federal law-enforcement officers from different agencies began to arrive, to protect federal facilities and assist local police. As darkness fell, the main riot area was further hit by a power outage.
Friday evening, President George H.W. Bush spoke to the nation, denouncing "random terror and lawlessness", summarizing his discussions with Mayor Bradley and Governor Wilson, and outlining the federal assistance he was making available to local authorities. Citing the "urgent need to restore order", he warned that the "brutality of a mob" would not be tolerated, and he would "use whatever force is necessary". He then turned to the Rodney King case and a more thoughtful tone, describing talking to his own grandchildren and pointing to the reaction of "good and decent policemen" as well as civil rights leaders. He said he had already directed the Justice Department to begin its own investigation, saying that "grand jury action is underway today" and that justice would prevail. [3]
Fourth day (Saturday, May 2)
With the fourth day, 4,000 soldiers from the United States Army and Marines were ready to deploy from Fort Ord to suppress the crowds and restore order. Calm began to reappear as the federal presence spread. With most of the violence under control, Korean citizens held a march defending their community (as well, many carried signs calling for justice for Rodney King). By the end of the day a sense of normalcy began to return, although many middle-class Angelenos had simply fled the city for the weekend. Others simply holed up at home and watched television coverage. Saturday night partying apparently fed a slight resurgence of lawlessness.
Whether in response to the riots, or simply the verdict, on May 2 the Justice Department announced it would begin a federal investigation of the Rodney King beating.
Fifth day (Sunday, May 3)
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Sixth day (Monday, May 4)
Although Mayor Bradley lifted the curfew, signalling the official end of the riots, sporadic violence and crime continued for a few days afterward. Schools, banks, and businesses reopened. Federal troops, reluctant to leave residents unprotected, would not stand down until May 9; the state guard remained until May 14; and some soldiers remained as late as May 27.
Aftermath
After the riots, pressure mounted for a retrial of the officers. The acquittals survived appeals in the state courts, but federal charges of civil rights violations were brought against the officers. Near the first anniversary of the acquittal, the city tensely awaited the decision of the federal jury; seven days of deliberations raised speculative fear of an incendiary outcome in the event of a not guilty verdict.
Precautionary measures were taken by the government and media. The decision was read in an atypical 7:00 a.m. Saturday court session on April 17, 1993. Two officers were found guilty and another two acquitted. Mindful of accusations of sensationalist reporting following the first jury decision, media outlets opted for more sober coverage which included calmer on-the-street interviews[4]. Police were fully mobilized with officers on 12-hour shifts, convoy patrols, scout helicopters, street barricades, tactical command centers, and support from the National Guard and Marines[5][6]. To the relief of everyone, no violence broke out.
Peter Ueberroth, notable organizer of the 1984 Olympics in L.A., attempted to spur development of damaged areas as head of Rebuild L.A., which fell short of its monetary goals by more than half and failed to attract substantive corporate investment in poor areas. The effort lasted until 1997 before folding.
The riots in popular culture
Music
- Sublime's song "April 29th 1992" is based on accounts of the riots.
- Dr Dre's song "The Day The Niggaz Took Over" featuring Snoop (Doggy) Dogg, RBX & Daz Dillinger (formally known as "Dat Nigga Daz"), describes the specific situation from a black "thug" perspective and includes live interviews by people from the street.
- Ice Cube's song, "We Had To Tear This Motherfucka Up" was written as a statement on the verdict and expressed sentiments similar to those of the alleged rioters. Most of his 1992 release, "The Predator", was in some way evocative of the riots and King.
- Porno for Pyros' self-titled debut album was wholly inspired by the riots.
- Downset song "Anger" from their self-titled debut album was inspired by the riots.
Film
- The 1991 film Grand Canyon (movie), which reflected on the divide between people of different race and class in L.A., was widely seen as a prefiguration of the riots, particularly in a scene with a white driver who was nearly carjacked by young black thugs, then rescued by a black tow-truck driver.
- The 1994 film Floundering explores the alienation and disaffection the main character sees in his neighborhood of post-riot Venice Beach.
- The 2002 film Dark Blue, about police corruption, is set during the riots, and includes archival footage of both the Rodney King and Reginald Denny beatings.
- Spike Lee's 1992 film Malcolm X opens with a scene of the Rodney King beating, juxtaposed with a burning American flag that burns down and forming the letter X. All the while, the voice of Malcom X (played by Denzel Washington) speaks in a tirade fashion in which he denounces the "white man" as the oppressor.
- Paul Haggis' Crash about the interactions of strangers against the backdrop of modern Los Angeles and racism between whites, blacks, hispanics, and asians.
Other
- An episode of the popular television series L.A. Law was set on the day of the riots.
- The 2004 PlayStation 2 videogame Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas contains a riot in the fictional city of Los Santos that occurs after a group of police officers are acquitted of various crimes including corruption charges. Los Santos is based on 1992 Los Angeles.
- According to IMDb, the movie Falling Down (1993), starring Michael Douglas and Robert Duvall, was filmed during the L.A. riots of 1992.
See also
External links
- Military operations during the 1992 Los Angeles riots - by a participating guardsman
- Lessons in command and control from the L.A. riots - Parameters, journal of the Army War College
- Flawed Emergency Response during the L.A. riots - professional article
- The LA Riots 1992 - An anarchist perspective focusing on riots, characterizes riots as political uprising.
- The L.A. 53 - full listing of 53 known deaths during the riots, from the L.A. Weekly
- L.A.'s darkest days - Christian Science Monitor retrospective and interviews with victims and participants
Photography
- Urban Voyeur - black and white photographs taken during the riots
- Aftermath of the Rodney King riots - photographs
Video
- Los Angeles riots - IFILM
- Video coverage of the Los Angeles riots - L.A. Times (registration required)
Notes
- ^ Pollard, Gail (May 1, 1992). "Latinos Bring Racial Mix to Boil". Guardian (London), p. 7.
- ^ Cannon, Lou. Official Negligence: How Rodney King and the Riots Changed Los Angeles and the LAPD. New York, New York: Times Books, 1997, p. 109
- ^ Rosenberg, Howard (April 19, 1993). "Los Angeles TV Shows Restraint". Chicago Sun-Times, Section 2; Features; Pg. 22.
- ^ Mydans, Seth (April 19, 1993). "Verdict in Los Angeles; Fear Subsides With Verdict, But Residents Remain Wary". New York Times, Section B; Page 11; Column 1.
- ^ Tisdall, Simon & Reed, Christopher (April 19, 1993). "All Quiet on the Western Front After King Verdicts". Guardian (London), Pg. 20.