# How Big is the Civil Disorder in Los Angeles? **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [June 9, 2025, 1:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-big-is-the-civil-disorder-in-los-angeles/1019366 "2025-06-09T13:58:29Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Paul\_was\_in\_Saudi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/b77776/32.png) [@Paul\_was\_in\_Saudi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paul_was_in_Saudi)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2025, 1:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-big-is-the-civil-disorder-in-los-angeles/1019366/1 "2025-06-09T13:58:29Z")
I would have preferred to post this in FQ, but I suppose there is no Richter Scale for rioting. I have glanced at the New York Times and other standard sources. But frankly I am not sure who to trust. **So how big of a deal is the rioting in Los Angeles?** Can you compare it to the 1992 Rodney King disorder? Watts in 1965? Is the administration overreacting? ---
**Author:** ![Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/13edae/32.png) [@Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stranger_On_A_Train)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2025, 2:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-big-is-the-civil-disorder-in-los-angeles/1019366/2 "2025-06-09T14:21:36Z")
There is no ‘rioting’ akin to anything that occurred during the Watts or Rodney King riots. The majority of protests have been people sitting and blocking roads. In a few cases there have been small groups of people committing acts of petty vandalism (spray painting slogans and insults on or adjacent to federal property), and five (5) Waymo self-driving cars were set on fire. This is on part with what any major city experiences anytime their sportsball team wins a league title. It doesn’t demand a National Guard response, or so send in the reported 500 Marines to quell ‘insurrection’ (color me surprised that Tom Homan could even grunt out a four syllable word coherently). Stranger ---
**Author:** ![Babale](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/babale/32/15666_2.png) [@Babale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Babale)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2025, 2:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-big-is-the-civil-disorder-in-los-angeles/1019366/3 "2025-06-09T14:44:30Z")
> [@Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](#): > > and five (5) Waymo self-driving cars were set on fire Are you claiming that only those five cars were Seton fire, or just giving that as an example? > [@Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](#): > > This is on part with what any major city experiences anytime their sportsball team wins a league title KTLA is the local news here in LA - I’d recommend that if the OP wants a sense of scale, he go through some of the stories on their front page. As a local, I’d say it’s _definitely_ no Rodney King riot; but it’s also significantly more than a wild football game celebration. > [@Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](#): > > It doesn’t demand a National Guard response, or so send in the reported 500 Marines to quell ‘insurrection’ On this, you’re very much correct. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2025, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-big-is-the-civil-disorder-in-los-angeles/1019366/4 "2025-06-09T14:55:56Z")
There were no guns. These are patriots participating in a day of love. ---
**Author:** ![TeroSunbear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terosunbear/32/14748_2.png) [@TeroSunbear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TeroSunbear)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2025, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-big-is-the-civil-disorder-in-los-angeles/1019366/5 "2025-06-09T19:36:34Z")
The burning cars were apparently Waymos. [Waymo cars set on fire in LA protests; service suspended](https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2025/06/09/waymo-cars-fire-los-angeles-protests/84110837007/) ---
**Author:** ![Babale](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/babale/32/15666_2.png) [@Babale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Babale)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2025, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-big-is-the-civil-disorder-in-los-angeles/1019366/6 "2025-06-09T19:56:27Z")
> [@TeroSunbear](#): > > The burning cars were apparently Waymos. There were five Waymos burned, but those aren’t the only burned cars - for example, at the very start of this video, the camera pans over various chaotic happenings, including a burning car. [https://ktla.com/news/local-news/l-a-driver-goes-on-high-speed-rampage-amid-violent-downtown-protests/](https://ktla.com/news/local-news/l-a-driver-goes-on-high-speed-rampage-amid-violent-downtown-protests/) ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2025, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-big-is-the-civil-disorder-in-los-angeles/1019366/7 "2025-06-09T20:04:16Z")
But did the violence and car burning occur before or after trump sent the Military in? > **[Los Angeles protests: a visual guide to what happened on the streets](https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/jun/09/los-angeles-protests-visual-guide)** > > The Trump administration’s immigration raids in the California city prompted mostly peaceful protests, which escalated when the president sent in the national guard > **[California to sue Trump for ‘unlawfully’ deploying national guard as...](https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/live/2025/jun/09/los-angeles-protests-live-tensions-flare-trump-deploys-national-guard-troops)** > > California to accuse Trump of deploying troops to quell protests over the objections of governor Newsom; Trump claims deployment prevented disaster _The state of **California** will file a lawsuit accusing the [Trump administration](https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/trump-administration) of “unlawfully” federalizing the state’s National Guard and deploying its troops to quell immigration protests over the objections of the governor, **Gavin Newsom**._ _Previewing the lawsuit on Monday, the [California](https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/california) attorney general, **Rob Bonta** accused the Trump administration of escalating what began on Friday as scattered protests that erupted into unrest._ _“This was not inevitable,” Bonta said of the demonstrations that built over the weekend following Ice raids across [Los Angeles](https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/los-angeles), adding:_ _\> There was no risk of rebellion, no threat of foreign invasion. No, inability for the federal government to enforce federal laws._ Todays news- > **[Downtown L.A. hit by widespread vandalism, damage as city struggles to calm...](https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2025-06-09/la-me-downtown-la-immigration-violence)** > > An ugly night of vandalism, burglaries and clashes in downtown Los Angeles left city officials struggling to get the upper hand after three days of scattered unrest over immigration raids. _It was bizarre, they said, seeing the city portrayed on the news and social media as a place of total chaos on the news when most of Los Angeles was carrying on like any other summer day._ _“People back where we live are going to completely be horrified,” said Cowan-Banker, a 42-year-old personal trainer. “I’m sure they think it’s a war zone here. ”_ _Many downtown residents seemed completely unbothered by the protests and aftermath. Los Angeles has seen large-scale protests in the past, such as in 2020 following the death of George Floyd._ ---
**Author:** ![ParallelLines](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/parallellines/32/3575_2.png) [@ParallelLines](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ParallelLines)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2025, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-big-is-the-civil-disorder-in-los-angeles/1019366/8 "2025-06-09T20:22:39Z")
Split this topic on June 9, 2025, 8:22pm UTC A post was split to a new topic: [Unmitigatedaudacity Troll/Trock Post](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unmitigatedaudacity-troll-trock-post/1019391) ---
**Author:** ![ParallelLines](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/parallellines/32/3575_2.png) [@ParallelLines](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ParallelLines)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2025, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-big-is-the-civil-disorder-in-los-angeles/1019366/9 "2025-06-09T20:19:25Z")
Closed on June 9, 2025, 8:19pm UTC ---
**Author:** ![ParallelLines](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/parallellines/32/3575_2.png) [@ParallelLines](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ParallelLines)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2025, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-big-is-the-civil-disorder-in-los-angeles/1019366/10 "2025-06-09T20:22:59Z")
Opened on June 9, 2025, 8:22pm UTC ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2025, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-big-is-the-civil-disorder-in-los-angeles/1019366/11 "2025-06-09T21:13:27Z")
[![Imgur](https://i.imgur.com/nl3kd3g.jpeg "Riot area") ](https://imgur.com/gallery/riot-area-00ybz4f) The red circle is where the major protest is. ---
**Author:** ![Paul\_was\_in\_Saudi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/b77776/32.png) [@Paul\_was\_in\_Saudi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paul_was_in_Saudi)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2025, 9:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-big-is-the-civil-disorder-in-los-angeles/1019366/12 "2025-06-10T09:08:39Z")
If the schools are open, and they are, that says something. ---
**Author:** ![Spoons](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spoons/32/3141_2.png) [@Spoons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoons)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2025, 9:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-big-is-the-civil-disorder-in-los-angeles/1019366/13 "2025-06-10T09:25:13Z")
> [@TriPolar](#): > > There were no guns. These are patriots participating in a day of love. I was glad to see no guns, except in the hands of law enforcement, and even then, they were of the rubber bullet variety. I’m sure they had more lethal firearms, but weren’t showing them. What surprised me was that there were no Kyle Rittenhouses showing up. Not that there would likely be that many in LA, but in a city that size, there must be at least a few who wanted to show up, just itching for the chance to use a firearm. I’m glad they didn’t. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2025, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-big-is-the-civil-disorder-in-los-angeles/1019366/14 "2025-06-10T19:52:52Z")
> [@Paul\_was\_in\_Saudi](#): > > If the schools are open, and they are, that says something. The Waffle House restaurants would be open also- if there were any in California. 😇 > **[Waffle House Index](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waffle_House_Index)** > > The Waffle House Index is a metric named after the ubiquitous Southern US restaurant chain Waffle House known for its 24-hour, 365-day service. Since this restaurant always remains open (except in extreme circumstances), it has given rise to an informal but useful metric to determine the severity of a storm and the likely scale of assistance required for disaster recovery. The metric was first conceived of by journalist Matt Dellinger and the term later coined by former administrator Cra The in... ---
**Author:** ![Paul\_was\_in\_Saudi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/b77776/32.png) [@Paul\_was\_in\_Saudi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paul_was_in_Saudi)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2025, 10:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-big-is-the-civil-disorder-in-los-angeles/1019366/15 "2025-06-10T22:33:40Z")
Actually, I checked the Waffle Houses before I posted the original question. Another method of determining the extent of the civil disorder would be to look at Los Angels’ traffic. But the maps are very complex and there are lots of red routes even in normal times. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2025, 10:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-big-is-the-civil-disorder-in-los-angeles/1019366/16 "2025-06-10T22:48:58Z")
> [@Paul\_was\_in\_Saudi](#): > > If the schools are open, and they are, that says something. On June 10th? ---
**Author:** ![PhillyGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ed655f/32.png) [@PhillyGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PhillyGuy)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2025, 11:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-big-is-the-civil-disorder-in-los-angeles/1019366/17 "2025-06-10T23:45:35Z")
Will there be civil war during Trump 47? I think not. But there is starting to be civil unrest, and it will get worse. Will it be fair to say that, at the beginning, the Trumpers exaggerated it? Yes. A fair point. But I don’t think it will be politically good to minimize the unrest. Trump is provoking it, and it is becoming a problem. ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2025, 12:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-big-is-the-civil-disorder-in-los-angeles/1019366/18 "2025-06-11T00:03:23Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > On June 10th? Yes. School is not out yet in much of the area. The school year ends in a couple of weeks. ---
**Author:** ![PastTense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pasttense/32/14550_2.png) [@PastTense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PastTense)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2025, 12:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-big-is-the-civil-disorder-in-los-angeles/1019366/19 "2025-06-11T00:08:28Z")
> **[Trump’s mobilization of troops in LA to cost Americans at least $134m,...](https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/jun/10/trump-national-guard-los-angeles-protests)** > > US defense secretary defends president’s decision to dispatch 2,700 military personnel due to Ice protests That’s a lot of money. ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2025, 12:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-big-is-the-civil-disorder-in-los-angeles/1019366/20 "2025-06-11T00:08:58Z")
> [@PhillyGuy](#): > > Will there be civil war during Trump 47? I think not. Only one side has a military, so no; a one-sided slaughter isn’t a war. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-big-is-the-civil-disorder-in-los-angeles/1019366.md?page=2)