Watts Riots of ‘65

The largest and most costly race riot of the 60s was the Watts Race Riot.  On August 11, 1965, young black Marquette Frye was pulled over for suspicion of being drunk while driving.  A crowd gathered around the scene as the police officer arrested him.   Members of the crowd became angry at the police officer, and violence broke out soon after the arrest.  A large-scale riot formed in the center of the commercial section of Watts.  The riots lasted six days as impoverished African Americans burned vehicles and looted stores.  Over 14,000 National Guard troops were deployed in Watts and a curfew zone that spanned over forty-five miles was established.  When the rioting subsided, thirty-four people were dead, more than a thousand people were injured, and more than four thousand were arrested.  

Aftermath of Watts Riot
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