Spartan Daily City Editor Tony Marck Was Jumped, Daily Sta Ff Report Struck and His Backpack Was Stolen
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RIOTS ROCK SAN JOSE People react with shock, anger to King verdict tPvo4 PAR DAILY Ito Vol. 98, No. 64 Published for San lose State University since 1934 Friday, May 1, 1992 Protest erupts into violence MYCIO I. Sanchez -- - Daily staff phot,,,, Protestors were divided as some called for violence (top) and others begged for a peaceful demonstration (bottom) Wednesday night against the verdict of the Rodney King beating trial Protests and rallies take over campus, downtown as result of discontent Pushing as a unit, the racially mixed but predominantly Riot breeds violence black and Ilispanic crowd, forged off down San Salvador. Rallies split between peace, destruction Spartan Daily City Editor Tony Marck was jumped, Daily sta ff report struck and his backpack was stolen. A flash was yanked Daily staff report RELATED SToRiES Swarming though SJSII and San Jose's downtown from Spartan Daily photographer Scott Sady. streets, crowds of stinkms and local residents stung the city Guy Wallrath was watching television in his Joe West As of 10:40 p.m. Thursday night, downtown San Jose Opinions on the verdict Page 1 with anger and violence Wednesday night. room when someone came in and said, "Man, if you're was seeing a repeat performance of the night before Thursday's press conference, police And they left scars. white, don't go downstairs." magnified. respond to the violence Page 3 What started as a mild campus protest against the The crowd moved like molten lava, splitting near the Rioting, window breaking, looting, fires and arrests Timeline, map and photographs of Wednes- acquittal of four Los Angeles police officers in the Rodney Dining Commons. One group set out for ITPD while the again tainted the night air as violent protests of the verdict day night's riots, campus reactions King beating case, split off in two or more groups about other began the march to San Jose Police Department and in the Rodney King beating case continued. Awes 4 and 5 11:30 p.m., ending in at least five student arrests and leav- City Hall. Like moths drawn to a flame, passers-by and A fire was reported in the Engineering Building over the Page 6 ing a residue of shattered windows and looted stores in their television viewers joined the forces. Windows were broken Spartan Daily's police scanner at 10:21. The report could Damage report path. at I PD and paper bins upset. not be confirmed. At least two fire trucks had just raced up First-person account of the riot. an RA dis- Momentum for this tense four-hour infestation gained Alberto Vcrduzco, a sophomore in mathematics. yelled San Fernando at 10:10. cusses riot repercussions, summary of the strength after at least two campus groups, Striving Black "If they won't give us justice, we have to take it." Once again the protest seemed to split in half. A mostly news from Associated Press Page 7 Brothers & Sisters and Students tinned for Accessible Educa- A blur of hoarse voices echoed between SIMI buildings peaceful protest had its beginnings at 7 p.m. at Sixth and tion, began to organize a peaceful protest against the verdict at on San Carlos One black student, I,es Shepherd. had expe- Julian streets. They had maintained their composure still by "This is a state of emergency. This campus is not safe Joe West flail, according to Juan Ham, SI1AE president. rienced police brutality firsthand, but didn't approve of the 9:45 p.m and moved their demonstration to the San Jose for you. Go away." a 11niversily police officer in front of With a swelling chant of, "No justice, no peace." some violence from some of the crowd. police department. Admissions and Records told reporters at 10:15. of the protesters huddled together, trying to ignite a flag. "I've been Nat up by police in Inglewood just for look- Others broke off on their own. Angry rioters stormed "Don't take the bus. Don't take the Light Rail. ('all your Ilaro directed the crowd to head for the police department ing wrong," he said as he strode down San (ark.. "But the down Second Street, breaking windows and screaming. daddy, your boyfriend. Somebody to pick you up." he said. while some protesters buffeted a KNIN news crew on the answer is to use your minds not your fists." By 10:15 the violent mob had clashed with police on At 10:35 members of the mob had made their way scene. The KNTV reporter, Wallis Alvin, shouted "Why Many screamed with anger over Wednesday's verdict. Santa Clara and First Street. Riot police chased anyone on through campus, running and shouting that they would try don't you guys go to the police department?" KNITV news "There was a goddamn video and nothing happened to the street. The scene was described as chaos. to block off Highway 280 as they headed in the direction of director said Thursday that Alviar was "trying to diffuse the the officers," said sophomore Dana Lovelace. "If they were Moving down San ("arlos toward &1St 1, shouting Duncan Hall. The crowd turned their wrath on people, situation." crowds left broken windows in their tracks. Police cars But it only seemed to encourage it. See RIOT Page 6 drove into the crowds and three to six arrests were made. See RAM; Page 6 4 2 Friday, May 1, 1992 San lose State University SPARTAN DAILY FORUM OPINIONS EDITORIAL Verdict sparks flames of anger across America Nation moves Guard onto the streets of L.A., sending the city into a police state mentality. This would succeed in bringing order to the toward 'separate troubled area. Order, that is, until the Guard left the area and the residents pick but unequal' up the riots where they left off. Or, the National Guard can ignore the the tinder-dry section problem and go home, and the rioters can that is South Central Los continue their actions until the only In remaining part of the site is the concrete Angeles, the verdict was it was built upon. the spark to set it all off. No matter what, the riots will The fire of anger burning within the continue. The people of South Central residents translated to a conflagration of L.A. and African-Americans around the flames and smoke, not only in Los nation will not forgive the gross violation Angeles, but all over the country. of justice that Rodney King faced. Unlike It wasn't surprising. The only question the white Americans who suffer from left is, where do we go from here? short-term memory loss (where did the In the introduction of the "Report of furor over sexual harassment go?), the National Advisory Commission on African-Americans have been keeping Civil Disorders," Tom Wicker, former score on the injustices they have faced New York Times Bureau Chief, and are lashing out concluded that "Our nation is moving Also from Wicker's introduction: toward two societies, one black, one "Segregation and poverty have created in white separate but unequal." the racial ghetto a destructive Wicker wrote these words 24 years environment totally unknown to most ago. white Americans. What white Americans but what In 1992, more than ever, his words are have never fully understood Ed Fowler Spartan Daily still true. the Negro can never forget is that The result of the trial against the four white society is deeply implicated in the LAPD officers was a brutal slap in the ghetto. White institutions created it, face of minorities. white institutions maintain it, and white LETTERS TO THE EDITOR And now, minorities are slapping society condones it." back. Brutally. And now, black Americans are As far as we can tell, the state has two burning it down, in the ultimate response Stop the hatred Each other. doned; nevertheless, it is an integral part of options. against the hell they have been put As individuals we have the ability to our justice system, education system, and Gov. Wilson can put the National through for the past 300 years. Editor, stand together, to look beyond color, sex, most other systems. Most people placed the Lately this newspaper has run stories and ethnicity. To let ourselves rise above the blame where it belonged: on our govern- letters that attack oppression throughout the problems of the world and unite to improve ment But! was concerned about signs I saw world, that examine the injustices of govern- it for future generations. We have the power protesting "White Justice". ments, that cry in fear of losing liberties and to begin again. What our parents have left The trial was not white justice. It was no point to racism and anti-semitism. I'm going for us will not work. Let's start over so that justice, period. Although racism by blacks WRITER'S to try not to talk about that stuff. our own children won't be so cynical. against whites is more easily understood What lam going to talk about is what we We did not decide the fate in the Rodney than the opposite, it is still wrong. None of should be reading about: How to stop the King case. We do not support war in the us chose our race; therefore, being of any FORUM Monika Jung hatred. On Wednesday this country thought Middle East. We did not elect to use the gas race could definitely not be a personal fault. that 12 people in Southern California would chamber. It is not a fault, period. We may have some say that it is wrong to beat a man excessive- We can move on ..