Images depicting burning vehicles and protesters clashing with law enforcement, with the latter responding with nonlethal force and tear gas, bring to mind previous scenarios where the National Guard was summoned to address disturbances in Los Angeles. However, the recent protests over immigration enforcement differ significantly in magnitude from the notorious 1992 riots, which erupted following the acquittal of white police officers captured on video assaulting Rodney King, a Black motorist.
During the 1992 incidents, President George H.W. Bush invoked the Insurrection Act, deploying the National Guard at the behest of Mayor Tom Bradley and Governor Pete Wilson. In contrast, the current protests, initiated by opposition to Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids, prompted President Donald Trump to dispatch 4,100 National Guard troops and 700 Marines. This decision faced strong dissent from Mayor Karen Bass and Governor Gavin Newsom. Trump referenced a legal clause allowing federal troop mobilization in cases of “rebellion or danger of a rebellion against the authority of the Government of the United States.” This action resulted in California Attorney General Rob Bonta filing a lawsuit against the president, arguing an overreach of authority. Governor Newsom subsequently pursued an emergency motion in federal court to prevent the military from supporting immigration operations in Los Angeles.
Unlike the large-scale chaos of the 1992 riots, the recent demonstrations have been largely peaceful, contained to a small five-block area in downtown L.A., a minor section of the massive metropolis that houses nearly four million residents. Fortunately, there have been no fatalities. While vandalism and vehicle fires have occurred, no residential or commercial properties have been engulfed in flames.
Over the past few days, law enforcement has arrested more than 100 individuals. Most arrests stem from failure to disperse, with a handful related to more serious charges such as assault with a deadly weapon, looting, vandalism, and attempted murder for the deployment of a Molotov cocktail. Minor injuries were sustained by several officers, and both demonstrators and journalists have encountered impacts from over 600 rubber bullets and other “less-lethal” projectiles deployed by police.
Historically, the aftermath of the King verdict on April 29, 1992, triggered nearly a week of devastating violence, marking it as one of the deadliest riots in U.S. history. The mayhem led to widespread looting and arson, destroying entire blocks in South Los Angeles—a predominantly Black community at the time—resulting in more than 60 deaths due to shootings and related violence.
The unexpected 1992 uprising stemmed from entrenched racial strains in the city, with the King verdict serving as a catalyst. Beyond discontent with police mistreatment, some locals also expressed animosity towards Korean merchants who owned many nearby establishments. These residents felt the shopkeepers regarded them suspiciously, more as potential thieves than legitimate patrons. As the destruction spread towards Koreatown, some Korean store owners armed themselves with firearms to protect their businesses.