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Copyright © 1992 by Manfred P.. All rights reserved.

May 15, 1992

Riots in the States?

L.A. Riots

by

Manfred P.

I was safely in Oregon when it all happened.

I'm sure you've seen the news. Well, it's not quite Beirut or Yugoslavia here, and hopefully things will be over with by the end of the weekend. However, people get a bit jumpy when they discuss bringing on in Federal troops.

Everything was pretty much confined to South-Central L.A. yesterday, but today there's nothing left to burn there, and the shit has moved north to Hollywood, west to Hawthorne, south to Long Beach...

A friend told me that he was at his girlfriend's house last night, and didn't think much was happening around where she lived, in the city of Gardena. He decided to just spend the night to ease her mom's fears about going out at night with all the rioting happening. The stuff they hear about in the news was taking place over 15 miles away from his girlfriend's house, so he didn't think things would get bad where she lived, but in the morning he saw broken glass on the street corner, and heard that there was a shooting in the alley behind her house... wonderful. Today there was heavy looting at the Von's and Miller's Outpost a few blocks down the street from her house, and one starts to wonder if things really are confined to the "bad" areas of L.A.

As of today, his home city of Torrance is under 7pm-7am curfew, along with most of Los Angeles area, so he has been planing on staying down there in dull, but safe Orange County.

On the radio I heard the first news yesterday morning. At that point 9 lives were claimed by the riots. Now the number is 24 (if I am informed correctly). I haven't watched TV since I came here, but yesterday I watched "Street Stories" and the 11pm news. Oregonians worry about the Blazers who are supposed to be playing the Lakers. Who the hell cares about 20 basket ball players when all this is going on?

I heared about peaceful demonstrations at UCI. I really agree with most people, the verdict sucks. How could anyone possible say "not guilty". I heared one juror on TV (via phone). What an asshole, her argumentation did not make much sense to me. Sure, that doesn't justify looting, etc. but I sure hope that these jurors feel responsible.

I am pretty pissed at the jurors, f...ing idiots, blind people with lots of PREJUSTICE against black people and blind positive favorism of LAPD cops. Really, it's thousand miles away, but I am very outraged, I can understand the actions taken by thousands, but naturally I cannot condone any of the shooting, demolition, looting, sniper attacks, arsen, .... It's a very emotional thing, difficult to explain, you would need to know and live through the whole story that started more than a year ago. As a friend of mine put it: "The shit has hit the fan in L.A." The riots have spread to Las Vegas, San Fran, and minor activities that might be related occurred in many cities all over the US including Portland.

    

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