Unrest Spreads Throughout Los Angeles (1992)

on events today in Los Angeles from Jeffrey Kay of Public Station KCET. Late yesterday afternoon, the situation was chaotic. Looting was widespread. At one location, looters leaving an appliance store created a traffic jam as they escaped, clutching their merchandise. It wasn't until yesterday afternoon that police began to restore a semblance of order by making mass arrests of looters. About the same time, 2,000 national guard troops arrived in Los Angeles to assist law enforcement officials. At dusk, a curfew took effect in Los Angeles and adjoining cities, as a result parts of LA were deserted. Hundreds of fires still raged, not as many as the night before, but there was one big difference. Vandalism had spread beyond the confines of South Los Angeles, the predominantly black community where disturbances started. We saw looting close to Hollywood to the north. Fires along Hollywood Boulevard, a world-renowned

tourist landmark, might give non-angelinos some appreciation for the scope of the lawlessness. Even while scattered fires burned, for the most part last night, the police seemed to own the streets. The National Guard stood by at selected locations. At a midnight press conference, officials, including California Governor Pete Wilson, said the curfew seemed to be effective. The mayor has imposed a curfew. I'm convinced that the curfew is working, that it will work. Over a long weekend provided we have an attic with show of force. The kind of presence that is necessary to allow law enforcement to make the arrests necessary. Officials who had already authorized deployment of 4,000 national guard troops announced they were requesting 2,000 more. Once the officers of the sheriff and the chief have secured a building that has been looted, we are going to provide the troops from the guard

who can stay on station. At a particular site to assure that the looters do not return, that freeze the officers makes them mobile to go out and make arrests, both on the streets and to actually arrest the people who have been involved in looting. By daybreak when the curfew ended, people who returned to their businesses in many cases discovered that the curfew had not worked for them. While firefighters continued their efforts, residents of Los Angeles had to cope with numerous power outages, closed banks, post offices, schools and other businesses. There are few people in Los Angeles whose lives have not been disrupted in some way. LA is known for its racial and ethnic diversity and it is important to note that members of all races were both victims and perpetrators of violence. Along Western Avenue, Asian shopkeepers cleaned up what remained of their looted stores.

Do you think that you were targeted because you were Asian? There was a lot of feeling about that. I don't know because I know in whole street here, I saw it does matter, you know, what's going to be there? Vietnamese, Chinese, foreign and whatever, it still happens. Even, you know, America, and I saw America now, so get into this target for them. Further down Western Avenue, lines for gasoline started to form, a first indication of inevitable shortages being faced in some devastated communities. At a Viva supermarket, neighbors volunteered to clean up. Among them, local residents, Kenny Long, long teachers at a public high school. What's going to happen when people get hungry and need to go to a market to eat? I think that's when they're going to really come to their senses. They're not going to be able to get food. You know, I don't think that the communities, if we don't establish a hold on this place so it doesn't go down, they're not going to rebuild in these communities anytime soon.

I've been watching for the last 20 years and just this place over here, it was just rebuilt after all, the last situation. And our last situation being 1965? Yes. What's Ryan? Yeah, exactly. So it took a while to get this re-establish? I'd say at least two decades. And now you're worried that it's going to take water as much time as that. Exactly. But it again. Yeah, but it now becomes a community concern and we have to protect what we know is our support. Those who still have some good sense need to come out and try to talk some sense into those who have not what I'm not thinking at this time. The dawn to dusk curfew will remain in effect indefinitely according to Mayor Tom Bradley. President Bush has authorized the dispatch of 4,000 federal troops to Los Angeles along with an additional 1,000 US agents. But even with a beefed-up police presence and calls for peace, many residents are looking out for themselves. Hundreds of stores have been closed, so some people are hoarding food, not knowing where or if it will be readily available in their neighborhoods.

The man at the center of it all, Rodney King spoke out this afternoon for the first time since the four police officers were acquitted. He was emotional as he made a statement in Los Angeles calling for an end to the violence. People, I just want to say, can we all get along? Can we get along? Can we stop making it hard before the older people and the kids? I mean, we've got enough smoggy in Los Angeles, let alone to deal with the suddenly fires and things. It's just not right. It's not right. It's not going to change anything. We'll get our justice. They won the battle, but they haven't won the war.

We'll have our day in court, and that's all we want. I love, I'm neutral. I love every, I love people of color. I'm not likely to give me out, picking me out to be. We've got to quit. We've got to quit. After all, I'm going to understand the first upset for the first two hours after the verdict, but to go on and to keep going on like this and to see the security guard shot on the ground. It's just not right. It's just not right, because those people will never go home to their families again. I mean, please, we can get along here. We all can get

along. We just got to, I mean, we're all stuck here for a while. Let's try to work it out. Let's try to beat it. Let's try and work it out. Violence has been reported all across the country.