The LA Riots as They Happened: 4/29/1992

Note: The following entry comes from a journal I kept of the Los Angeles Riots that occurred from April 29, 1992 until May 3, 1992. The words are actual words from when I was 23 years old and living in Van Nuys, CA. I have also packaged the whole thing into tweets under the Twitter handle @GR_LARiots.


Does civil war begin today? As I wrote this (note: how goofy of me to use the past tense in a journal entry?), the news just reported another earthquake in Hot Springs, 3.4. Late last week there was a 6.0 earthquake in Northern California with several strong aftershocks. This is weird.

Anyway, Los Angeles is beginning to feel more and more like a war zone.

Just a few hours...

Within the last 20 minutes, we have had 2 riots break out (violent), an earthquake, and a police helicopter making an emergency landing on TV.

Back to where I was...

Just a few hours ago, the verdicts in the Rodney King beating trial were given. They were not guilty. In spite of the video. In spite of the testimony of the officer who wrote the book on the use of force. The officers who beat Rodney King were found not guilty. The only thing I can say is that the prosecution did not know what it was doing. The trial was fair, but the officers were guilty. I know that sounds contradictory, but there was nothing fishy about the trial except maybe the change of venue from Los Angeles to Simi Valley. But the video speaks for itself. There is no explanation those officers can give for their actions. They used excessive force without reason.

So then the trouble began...

Since my telephone was disconnected, I have had to go to pay phones to call Kim. So today, like other days...

They are stopping cars, pulling people out, and beating them.

...I went to a pay phone (note: I think this was at a store somewhere on Oxnard, perhaps Woodman and Oxnard?) to call her. While I was talking to her, a black man, about my age, yelled at me, “Homeboy, get off the phone.” He started yelling things at me then he hung up the phone. After that, he began pushing me, getting in my face, and threatening to beat the hell out of me. He was yelling racial slurs at me among other things. He clearly wanted me to start something. But I only argued with him, calling him a racist. I also said that he was acting like a member of the KKK. One of his friends across the street was throwing rocks at me. But they left after 10 minutes without any violence. But they wanted an excuse, I just did not give it to them (note: this event was occurring at the same time as the Reginald Denny beating in South Central Los Angeles).

All at the same time, the black people on the street would whisper to other complete strangers who were also black about something. I finally heard one of them mention some plans for some gathering. The black man on the phone next to me was saying something similar (note: interestingly, I don’t remember the events of this paragraph, even after reading it again 20 years later).

But I would like to mention  that of all the black people around me during this 1/2 hour to 1 hour period, only two were doing anything wrong. Those two, of course, harrassed me.

When I got back to my room, I turned on the television set to find reports of violence breaking out in at least two places. Automatic gunfire (sporadic) everywhere. People pulling other people out of cars and beating them. We have seen at least five fires set. Looting. And it has just begun. This is all just 3 hours after the verdict was announced.

This is very sad. Everyone, not just black people, should be outraged by this verdict. But at the same time, nothing wrong has been done except what those officers did. There was no cover-up. No conspiracy. No attempt to hide the truth. I simply think it was a combination of poor prosecution mixed with the extended jury deliberations. Mix that with a bit of the underlying prejudice in one or two jurors. But there was no oppression or blatant racism.

But South Central Los Angeles has been a war zone. It did not just become one today.

The previous stuff was written at 7:00pm. It is now 8:30pm. Blocks of South Central Los Angeles are burning. Parker Center, Los Angeles Police Department headquarters, is being stormed by protesters. I have been hearing sirens and helicopters around here all night (note: keep in mind, again, that at this time I lived in Van Nuys, many worlds and miles away from South Central Los Angeles).

9:30 - A fleet of helicopters and police cars just went racing by here. I promised Kim and my mom that  I would lock the door and stay inside, so I do not know what is going on. Sirens sounding everywhere. Gunshots at Foothill station. Blocks and blocks of South Central are on fire.

11:30 Mayor Tom Bradly and Governor Pete Wilson have declared a state of emergency for the city of Los Angeles. Over 50 major fires have been reported all over the city. Riots all over South Central, riots in downtown, and in Pacoima. 2 people so far have died. A fire fighter is currently at the hospital being treated for a gunshot wound to the face. The National guard is being called in to be deployed in Los Angeles. A woman nurse in one hospital emergency room said that the activity is worse than any she experienced during her duty in the Gulf War.

Personally, I have been staying inside like I promised. Every few minutes, though, I hear either a helicopter or a bunch of police cars go by. But so far I have heard nothing dangerous going on around here.

It is important to note that all of this rioting is actually being done by very few people. Most of them seem to be people who are just using the verdict as an excuse to do violence. Everyone is angry, and in fact, most community leaders have been encouraging peaceful expression of this anger. But the gang members, criminals, and general thugs just figure that this gives them some sort of permission to go all out with their destructive behavior. None of this is an honest reaction of any section of the community to the verdict.

This is not Civil War.