The Watts Rebellion 55 Years After

Fifty five years ago, a drunk motorcycle rider named Marquette Frye was arrested. In the days that followed the arrest what has since become known as the “Watts riots” started up in Los Angeles beginning on August 11, 1965, by Black Americans. The riot was just five days after the 1965 Voting Right Bill was signed into law. The aftermath was six days of rioting, burning, shooting, looting, lawlessness and destruction in Los Angeles, in what was then called South Central LA, and since 2003, South Los Angeles.

In the video newsreel below the narrator describes the horrific scene in Los Angeles where aside from burning down the town, “Looters stole everything from liquor to playpens.” Many photos of the day show looters—thieves—carrying lamps with shades, liquor bottles, shoe boxes, clothes, TV’s, etc. I’ve always thought it interesting that if the rioters are really interested in “social justice” then, why are they stealing other people’s property? Property those people had to work and pay for?

In all, 232 businesses were destroyed and 644 damaged. What began with 1,000 National Guardsmen being on the scene ended up with 21,000 military troops and police called into action to cover over 150 square blocks. Thousands of weapons were confiscated from those causing trouble ranging from BB-Guns to a favorite of the communists, the “Molotov Cocktail”. Many of the weapons were stolen from the buildings in the area. Over 850 firearms were confiscated. Thirty four people died and over 1,000 injured during the riots. It was estimated that the riots cost in damages over $225 million dollars.

During the mayhem White and Black citizens were pulled out of their cars and beaten by rioters. Their cars were then overturned and set on fire with “Molotov Cocktails”. There were also snipers used by the rioters on tops of buildings and on the ground, shooting at police cars and helicopters in the area.

Most of the people affected by the riots were the innocent Black, White and Mexican families in the area. These were relieved with groceries and other essentials by the Red Cross, church groups and others. As usual only a small minority of rioters caused a huge problem for everybody.

The Los Angeles Times newspaper ran a recollection of the Watts Riots of 1965 on the 50th anniversary of the turmoil. They wrote the following:

“The rioters were burning the city now, as the insane sometimes mutilate themselves,” wrote a Los Angeles Times reporter on Aug. 15, 1965.

“People keep calling it a riot,” Tommy Jacquette told the [Times] in 2005, “we call it a revolt because it had a legitimate purpose.”

Both the reporter and Jacquette were eyewitnesses to the same civic disturbance in Watts [in August 1965] — six violent days that left 34 people dead and thousands injured. But the distance between their two viewpoints is as wide as the 110 Freeway is long, and speaks to an enduring disagreement about what happened in South Los Angeles that August: Was it unbridled, angry chaos, or was it a purposeful response to oppression? Was it a riot or a revolt?

 

Vice president of national initiatives at the Texas Public Policy Foundation, Veteran National Guardsman and former California State Assemblyman, Chuck DeVore, wrote in 2017, in The Federalist, “The last 25 years of urban unrest in America, and around the world, show how rapidly domestic tranquility can collapse when law enforcement steps aside or is overwhelmed. Further, once anarchy overcomes order, it can take a major effort to restore public peace.”

 

 

DeVore wrote, “This is the case today whenever police stand by and allow fringe groups to battle each other in our streets and on our campuses, catching up innocent people in the violence and allowing the destruction of private property—and, frequently abridging the First Amendment rights of non-liberal speakers.”

DeVore noted that, Lawlessness makes it far more difficult for police to do their jobs.

 

“it is instructive to note that during every significant episode of urban unrest there is a cadre of professional agitators in the shadows urging people on to violence and revolution.”

 

It is noteworthy that communist groups are and have been among the American populace for many years, since at least the 1840’s. In 1848, there were the communist revolutions throughout Europe and many of those revolutionaries had to flee for their lives with many landing on the shores of America.

Since then communist agitators periodically stir up rioting and rebellion among those who are easily swayed with their arguments and for payola. We can trace many of these riots and rebellions to communist insurgencies and instigators to topple the government of the United States and create unrest and instability among the people.

As the communist apologist Saul Alinsky said, “Never let a crisis go to waste.” So, the communists have constantly circulated among the people in wait for a crisis. Think about the George Floyd situation currently taking place in 2020, where communist terrorist groups like Black Lives Matter and Antifa are rioting, looting, burning and generally causing mayhem across the country all with the blessing of state governors, city mayors and councils of all sorts.

Think back to 1992 when riots started up because of a jury verdict finding police not guilty of brutality against Rodney King. The riots started up in Los Angeles with burning, looting, and 58 killed in the streets. Multi-millions of property destroyed and burned.

Think again to the other riots in our recent history: Detroit, 1967, riot following boisterous late night party, 43 died;  Baltimore, Chicago, New York, Washington, DC, 1968 Martin Luther King, Jr., death; Newark, NJ, police accused of killing Black Taxi driver; New York riot in 1977 following a lightning strike knocked out power the Black community rioted; Miami, 1980, 18 died after a 3 day long riot following a high speed chase for a Black man running from police due to a suspended license and traffic citations.

In today’s world social media is “weaponizing” terrorist groups. And, with the rise of domestic and insurgent communist adherents and groups we are likely to see more activity with more profound effects in the days to come unless police are allowed to do their job to protect people and property from destruction by communist dupes.

Studying communist strategy reveals that the communists prepare in advance for a tinderbox situation and take advantage immediately when one arises. They typically plan multiple riots to take place at one time. The Watts riots and other rebellions are no exception. Widespread civil unrest is their plan to get control of local, state and national governments, and demand changes they propose be accepted. The 2020 riots are on track for this also.

The video narrator said that, firemen were issued flak suits—-they had to be issued flak suits because of snipers! Be aware, communist agitators and dupes are dangerous to all who are on the scene.

From the beginning of most of the riots, police patrols found flyers calling for “insurrection” and exhorting violence against law enforcement. Communist organizations and gangs authored the flyers. Black and white leaders of the time called the Watts Riots, or Rebellion, “insurrection by hoodlum.”

The video narrator says the episode is “A sorrowful page in American history.” Watts and all the other riots are a sorrowful page in American history. Year 2020 is already going down in history as one of the worst.

Question now is: Will police continue to “stand down” and allow Marxist rioters to bring on another Bolshevik Revolution? Will elected Mayors and Governors stop allowing lawlessness in the streets? Will citizens stand up to protect their community and country against ‘rioters with a purpose’? We remember the “hoodlums” of Watts 55 years later with sorrow. Let’s shorten the 2020 riots now!

 

Michael Reed is Editor of The Standard.

 

 

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