The Watts Rebellion Begins

After a great deal of time passed with no change, The Watts Rebellion began on August 11^th, 1965 after the arrest of Marquette Frye. This 21 year old black man residing in Watts was arrested on suspected DUI charges by the Los Angeles Police Department. Many onlookers witnessed the seemingly harsh arrest of Frye, as his mother and brother attempted to pry the officers off of him. This drew a lot of attention, and word spread quickly over the mistreatment by the LAPD. Many residents had already resented the local officers due to many acts of unfair treatment, and held them responsible for their poverty and alienation. (Nichols). The riots lasted for 6 days and resulted in 34 deaths, over 1,000 injuries, and nearly 4,000 arrests. There were also countless destruction of property, which was valued at $40 million. As buildings were being burned, firefighters attempted to help save these buildings. Due to the many looters roaming the streets, it increased distraction among these firefighters, trying to contain the problem. The National Guard was called after it was realized that the LAPD couldn't put an end to this alone. Some protesters shot at firefighters, police men, and the National Guard from rooftops. Finally by the 6th day, the rioting came to an end. Martin Luther King arrived in Los Angeles after the riots were over and was able to identify the problems that led to the rebellion. He said that the problems were, “environmental and not racial. The economic deprivation, social isolation, inadequate housing, and general despair of thousands of Negroes teeming in Northern and Western ghettos are the ready seeds which give birth to tragic expressions of violence.” (King, 1965) In an article King wrote for a paper called the Saturday Review, he claims that the outcome of the riots could have been predicted when “…officials tied up federal aid in political manipulation; when the rate of Negro unemployment soared above the depression levels of the 1930s; when the population density of Watts became the worst in the nation.” (King, “Beyond the LA Riots’). It’s sad to see that the combination of discrimination and hate crimes led to this horrific event.

Nichols, Casey. Blackpast.org. Watts Rebellion. 

King, ‘‘Beyond the Los Angeles Riots: Next Step, The North,’’ Saturday Review. Saturday Review. 13 November 1965.