Memories of the La Riots (San Francisco, Corona: credit, hotel, house)

[D-Towner]

What are your memories of the La Riots?

[BluSpark]

What is the point....a sentimental trip down memory lane?

Besides LA has had many riots in its 230 year history including the Chinese massacre in 1871, the Zoot suit riots of the 1940's, the Watt's riots in 1965, and the 1992 riots after the Rodney King ruling to name a few.

Chinese massacre of 1871 - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Zoot Suit Riots - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Watts Riots - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

[DewDropInn]

I'm assuming you mean RK Riots, since it's that anniversary.

I remember it very clearly, but here's my Reader's Digest version. I won't comment on the politics involved. The loss of life was horrendous. As was the property damage.

I found out an amazing number of our neighbors had guns. And were willing to defend the neighborhood. People set up shifts. Not that anyone slept.

I remember the night the rioters moved up towards the Monestary of the Angels and all the neighbors went over to protect the nuns. Prayed a lot those particular hours. The rioters turned around and went back down the hill.

I credit Edward James Olmos with stopping the riots. He pretty much said, "Enough!" Grabbed a broom, went outside and started sweeping. I'll never forget seeing him do that.

[Shinhiryuu]

i came out of church, they said it was gonna be unsafe but we didnt believe it. we were going to pizza hut on washington and main. we got there and it was up in flames... we got on the freeway and took off to rialto (middle of nowhere at that time), and got a hotel, we went to the market in the night only to walk in and the whhhollleee super market stoped and looked at us, they followed us throughout the market, i was a kid at the time and didnt understand why, my mom told me later because we were mexican and they thought we would bring the riots with us. we went back the next day, and my grandfather took my bigger brother, 12 at the tine and gave him a shot gun and climbed onto the corner street market's brother with others and pointed it at any rioters trying to break in. we stayed at my grandparents, and saw the national gaurd hit every other house on the block and pull out adults and kids and handcuffed little kids my age while they patted them down and searched their homes. after that day we didnt have any big business around, mc ds came back to south central when i was in middle school, we ate tacos everyday and bought meat daily from mom and pop shops.
growing up i hold anger to a lot of people today which i didnt when i was young. i understand it now and hold anger to the police, towards the korean lady who shot the black girl in the liqour store, the judge who just gave her probation, rodney king for being drunk, the people who pulled the white man out his car and beat him... they didnt know that their children would grow up in a place where racial tension would be at a height nowhere else in the us has seen, poor whites even in detroit can hang with blacks in south central i never seen a white person. we never knew things like toys r us, or half of the things on the tv. if it wasnt for my parents drivibg us out 45 mins away for decent food i would know nothing other than the ghetto. i feel bad fir my friends, i take them out and they tell me, they never ate a steak or sushi, makes you think a whole generation grew from that...

[CA4Now]

Originally Posted by DewDropInn

I'm assuming you mean RK Riots, since it's that anniversary.

I remember being absolutely stunned while watching the coverage of it: the explosive anger in reaction to the verdict about King's beating, the fact that the LAPD was videotaped by a bystander, the horrific experience of Reginald Denny, the looting. It was overwhelming. I was amazed not to see more coverage of the 20th anniversary of it in the newspapers. This was the only article I read.
Rodney King beating: Twenty years after the beating of Rodney King, the LAPD is a changed operation - latimes.com

[Harrier]

Originally Posted by CA4Now

I remember being absolutely stunned while watching the coverage of it: the explosive anger in reaction to the verdict about King's beating, the fact that the LAPD was videotaped by a bystander, the horrific experience of Reginald Denny, the looting. It was overwhelming. I was amazed not to see more coverage of the 20th anniversary of it in the newspapers. This was the only article I read.
Rodney King beating: Twenty years after the beating of Rodney King, the LAPD is a changed operation - latimes.com

The reason you didn't see much coverage is because this is the anniversary of the beating in Lake View Terrace in 1991. Next year, about 4/30/12 - I guarantee there will be a huge amount of newsprint devoted to the riots.

[Fontucky]

Some of the things I took away from that:

• Don't f with Korean businesspeople unless you're ready to die. They WILL protect their ****.

• Darryl Gates showed his true colors, and they weren't attractive.

• Reg Denny and the others at that intersection were assaulted by people from that 'hood, but they were also assisted by people from that 'hood after the gang filth had waddled off for fresh targets of opportunity.

• It is possible to nearly murder an innocent man on live TV and get away with it.

• Anyone who is the cause of a high-speed police chase should be beaten by cops after the chase terminates. Elect me as your next dictator and I will make this happen.

[Count David]

I was 8, and the local news scared me all the way in Corona.

[nmnita]

Originally Posted by D-Towner

What are your memories of the La Riots?

Are you talking about the original riots in Watts, 1965? We had just moved to the San Francisco area from Gardena and our house had just closed escrow about a week prior to the riots. Thank goodness it had settled, the area ended up in the curvew area and might have not gone through had it been a little later. I can remember buying meat at a butcher shop right on the Watts border in the early 60s. We had many friends that were police officers with the LAPD at the time.

About a year or two after the riots an excellant book came out which I beleive was called: Rivers of Blood and Days of Darkness.

If you are talking about the Rodney King riots, we were long gone by them so only remember what I heard, read and saw on TV, just like other people. I am sure there have been books written about those riots as well.

I don't think anyone ever forgets riots. They are so damaging and usually caused by poor communications and less than positive living conditions. The police over react but in some cases they have seen so much, it doesn't take much to set them off, next you have a bunch of people, who have so much built in anger and such poor living conditions they are just waiting to explode.

Nita

[D-Towner]

Originally Posted by nmnita

Are you talking about the original riots in Watts, 1965? We had just moved to the San Francisco area from Gardena and our house had just closed escrow about a week prior to the riots. Thank goodness it had settled, the area ended up in the curvew area and might have not gone through had it been a little later. I can remember buying meat at a butcher shop right on the Watts border in the early 60s. We had many friends that were police officers with the LAPD at the time.

About a year or two after the riots an excellant book came out which I beleive was called: Rivers of Blood and Days of Darkness.

If you are talking about the Rodney King riots, we were long gone by them so only remember what I heard, read and saw on TV, just like other people. I am sure there have been books written about those riots as well.

I don't think anyone ever forgets riots. They are so damaging and usually caused by poor communications and less than positive living conditions. The police over react but in some cases they have seen so much, it doesn't take much to set them off, next you have a bunch of people, who have so much built in anger and such poor living conditions they are just waiting to explode.

Nita

I meant the Rodney King riots. I asked because there was a CNN special about the beating.