XPost: soc.culture.russian, soc.culture.french, soc.culture.german   
   XPost: soc.culture.europe   
   From: lucr@me.ca   
      
   Hey dumbo: wanna hear about real totally uncontrolled violence, not only car   
   damages? Compare the level of violence and destruction, even in a country   
   which has structural differences that should make these kind of events   
   virtually impossible. Once upon a time, (not so far back):   
      
      
   05/01/92-2200CDT   
      
   L.A. INSURRECTION SURPASSES 1965 WATTS RIOTS, 38 DEAD, MORE THAN 1,200   
   INJURED   
   By: Clark Staten, EMT-P   
   Los Angeles, CA - The latest reported deaths in Los Angeles bring to   
   thirty-eight the total that have been killed as the result of the fires,   
   riots, and shooting that has plagued this second largest American city. The   
   death toll has risen following another night of violence and mayhem that is   
   said, by some, to be the consequences for the acquittal of four L.A.P.D.   
   officers in Simi Valley, CA on Wednesday.   
      
   The current totals of dead, injuried and damage done now exceed those that   
   occured in 1965, when residents of the Watts section of Los Angeles erupted   
   after the arrest of a black man by a white highway patrol officer.   
   Thirty-four (34) people died in the following six-days of chaos, 1,000 were   
   injuried, and $200 miilion dollars in damage was done. Older eyewitnesses   
   say that the most current riots far exceed the days of the Watts riots, both   
   in intensity and level of violence.   
      
   As 4,000 regular Army troops and 1,000 federal law enforcement officers move   
   into Los Angeles, people have begun to actually assess the severity of this   
   latest day of "revolution". They find thirty-eight (38) people dead, 1,250   
   people injuried, 3,600 structural fires, hundreds of businesses looted and   
   closed, and more than 3,000 people arrested. At least four (4) police   
   officers and three (3) firefighters have been shot and hundreds of other   
   injuried as they attempted to control the fires and lawlessness of the past   
   three days.   
      
   A "Dusk to Dawn" curfew has been imposed by Mayor Tom Bradley, in an effort   
   to prevent citizens from congregating into the groups that have controlled   
   the streets in recent days. The curfew also finally has "teeth" as 4,000   
   California National Guardsmen assist the police in securing areas of   
   previous violence. This evening, the National Guard Units were also   
   "federalized" by President Bush and supplemented by another 4,000 Army and   
   Marine troops with orders to act as "Light-Infantry" and to "return fire if   
   fired upon".   
      
   Reports are received at the time of this report that authorities may be   
   gaining a tactical advantage and that, with the help of an added 9,000 law   
   enforcement and military personnel, the situation may be under control by   
   the weekend. According to current reports, there have been fewer fires and   
   shooting incidents since the curfew was instituted on Friday evening.   
      
   The wave of destruction, which had spread from Southcentral Los Angeles to   
   Downtown, to Pasadena, to Hollywood, and to Koreatown, has not always seemed   
   just a response to the Rodney King verdict. Often in it's intensity, the   
   "rioting beast" did not pay attention to the race, color, or creed of it's   
   victims; it struck indiscriminately. Early video tapes of the "rioters"   
   sometimes showed middle class white youths, street gang members, and those   
   that have been associated with radical organizations such as the American   
   Communist Party.   
      
   Differing agendas seemed to be "at play" in differing circumstances. Much   
   looting appeared to "opportunistic" in scope and origin. Entire families   
   were seen working together to steal from stores in their own neighborhoods.   
   Often, what was being stolen was not of any necessity, but rather luxury   
   items such as designer gym shoes, radios, and starter jackets. Frequently,   
   it just appeared that it was those "without" were taking from those "with",   
   because they could.   
      
   In other situations, the anger and frustration was expressed by pulling   
   white motorists from cars and trucks and brutally beating and kicking them.   
   In one such case, Reginald Oliver Denny, was pulled from his truck as he   
   stopped to prevent hitting looters who filled the street. The incident was   
   captured by a helicopter television news crew as it occured and was   
   broadcast live. Some viewers said that the violence that was portrayed was   
   as "violent and sickening" as any that occured to Rodney King. Denny was   
   taken to Daniel Freeman Hospital after the furious beating, and has been   
   upgraded from critical to serious, following brain sugery to remove a blood   
   clot.   
      
   Arson was another way that some people vented their rage of various kinds.   
   Fire Chief Donald Manning was quoted as saying that the Los Angeles Fire   
   Dept. has responded to more than 3,600 fires in the past three days.   
   Further, he commented that at given times during the past two days, the   
   L.A.F.D. was receiving calls for three (3) fires every minute. He said that   
   this level of need for service far exceeded the department's ability to   
   respond and that this call volume was five (5) times that of normal.   
      
   Manning said that additional fire units were called from all over California   
   to help fight the conflagrations that spread through neighborhood after   
   neighborhood. Efforts were also reportedly hampered on numerous occasions by   
   sniper fire and direct confrontations against firefighters. One firefighter   
   was quoted as saying yesterday; "I'd feel a lot more secure if they gave me   
   a rifle". He was responding to the fact that at least three firefighters   
   have been reportedly shot while in the performance of their duties, and that   
   often police officers were not available to accompany and protect fire units   
   while they performed their already dangerous duties.   
      
   Los Angeles Police say that the circumstances also "unleashed" criminals,   
   street gangs, and others who's only motive in involvement in the riots was   
   that of profit. They point out the fact that this was also felt to be the   
   perfect opportunity to justify acts of violence, by street gang members,   
   against members of the police department. Police Chief Daryl Gates admitted   
   that on several occasions his forces had also been "overwhelmed" and unable   
   to respond to even calls for assistance from fellow officers and   
   firefighters. This reportedly enabled those that would engage in revenge   
   against any official agency to feel that they could do so with impunity.   
      
   As the senseless violence reached it's peak in Los Angeles on Thursday   
   night, reports began to be received that it had spread to other cities and   
   states across the country.   
      
      
     a.. 1. In Northern California, 1,400 people were arrested in San Francisco   
   as rioting engulfed the city's downtown area. A State of Emergency was   
   declared there and a curfew established.   
     b.. 2. In Los Vegas, a mob of two-hundred (200) people went on a rampage,   
   setting fires, and engaged in sniper fire and drive-by shootings. Local law   
      
   [continued in next message]   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)