Today in 1965 in Los Angeles was the mother of all urban uprisings. No event will ever compare.
From Wikipedia, here's how it started:
The riots began on August 11, 1965, in Watts, when Lee Minikus, a white California Highway Patrol officer on a motorcycle, pulled over African American Marquette Frye, who someone reported was driving erratically. While police questioned Frye and his brother Ronald Frye, a group of people began to gather. A struggle ensued shortly after Frye's mother Rena arrived on the scene, resulting in the arrest of all three family members. Police used their batons on Frye and his brother during questioning, angering the growing crowd. Someone threw a bottle which hit a police car fender. Shortly after the police left, tensions boiled over and the rioting began.
For more info, check out:
A Huey P Newton Story
Boston Globe: Remembering the Watts Riots
LAPD Radio calls: Watts Riots
Know your history!
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