Protests, riots mark the nation

Twenty-five years ago Los Angeles exploded in riots. Most of the violence was in the south-central part of the city, a predominantly black, low income area.

Residents had long objected to the roughshod methods of the police. Tensions had been particularly high over the shooting of a black girl by a Korean storekeeper. The well publicized beating of Rodney King by police kept those tensions at boiling point.

Then, the officers accused of beating King were found innocent.

That was enough for the city to explode.

For hours, at the height of the riot, the police withdrew. Looters ran rampant. Inno...