California serves as the crucible, not the bogeyman, for the American radical right, according to historian Sylvie Laurent.
In the heart of 60s and 90s California, the landscape was anything but serene. Streets of Los Angeles echoed with chaos, curfews, and cries of protest. Presence of heavily armed personnel on campuses and in the city's streets was a common sight, and the air was thick with tear gas and sirens. Citizens were pinned to the ground, blinded, and rounded up en masse.
This vivid scene of tension between conservative authority and progressive California has been part of the state's narrative for over half a century. Ronald Reagan, then the governor of the state, sent in the National Guard to quell the Berkeley riots in 1969, and his anti-communist and anti-"beatnik" sentiments were no secret.
Fast forward to 1992, when President George Bush faced the urban uprisings in the African-American communities of Los Angeles following the Rodney King verdict. Conservatives had long viewed Los Angeles and San Francisco as America's Sodom and Gomorrah, requiring taming by any respectable conservative leader.
Parodically reenacting this drama, Donald Trump ordered the deployment of the National Guard in 2018, targeting protesters sympathetic to undocumented immigrants. These individuals had not caused any rioting, and their state's governor had not requested this intervention. Yet, the opportunity to suppress "marxist" California and its "thugs" proved too appealing.
Historically, Los Angeles has witnessed several episodes of civil unrest, most notably the Watts Riots in 1965 and the riots of 1992. These periods of disorder were followed by military interventions, with the California National Guard being called in to restore order. The Watts Riots, which erupted following a mere traffic stop, resulted in 34 deaths and over 1,000 injuries. The 1992 riots, sparked by the acquittal of four white LAPD officers, left 53 dead and over 2,000 injured over six days.
Los Angeles' rich history of civil unrest serves as a stark reminder of the tensions that have long lurked beneath the surface of the city's diverse communities. From the Chicano Moratorium in 1970, which resulted in the death of a prominent journalist, to modern-day protests against racial injustice, the city continues to grapple with issues of police-community relations and ethnic tensions.
- "The city's history of civil unrest, ranging from war-and-conflicts like the Berkeley riots in 1969 to political upheavals such as the Rodney King verdict-induced urban uprisings in 1992, highlights the persistent general-news issues of police-community relations and ethnic tensions in Los Angeles."
- "The deployment of the National Guard, in 2018 under President Donald Trump's orders, to quell protesters sympathetic to undocumented immigrants, mirrors the political use of military interventions during war-and-conflicts and episodes of civil unrest in Los Angeles' past, such as the Watts Riots and the 1992 uprisings."
