June 11, 2025 • 29 mins
ICYMI: Hour One of ‘Later, with Mo’Kelly’ Presents – PART ONE of Mo’Kelly’s special in-depth coverage of the fifth straight day of protests against the ICE raids in Los Angeles with thoughts on Mayor Bass enacting a curfew for Downtown LA in response to “vandalism and looting” … PLUS – A look at the Los Angeles ICE protests juxtaposed against the Kent State Protests AND the 92’ Rodney King verdict riots - on KFI AM 640…Live everywhere on the iHeartRadio app & YouTube @MrMoKelly
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
You're listening to Later with Moe Kelly on demand from
KFI AM six forty.
Speaker 2 (00:13):
AM six. It's Moe Kelly. We're live everywhere on the
iHeartRadio app. We continue to follow the events right now,
at least in downtown. We'll see if anything should change
in and around the city, if anything should change in
and around the country. The Marines are now here in
southern California. Where exactly they will be deployed remains to
(00:37):
be seen, How they will be deployed, how they may
engage remains to be seen. Now there's what the law says,
what active duty military can or cannot do, and there
is what President Trump may expect and demand of these troops.
I can say this often. I talk about how I
(00:58):
was on a federal grand for four months, So when
I talk about the federal building in downtown LA, I
know exactly where it is, how it's configured, how it's
laid out, how that may play into the dynamics of
these ongoing protests around And I mentioned that because most likely,
(01:21):
most likely you will have the Marines, probably along with
the National Guard, in and around that building. It's the
Edward Roybal Federal Building, and you would see them probably
there guarding protecting the Federal building and also providing some
level of support for law enforcement. But today is another day,
(01:46):
I think, an opportunity to provide some context, to provide
some history. There are things happening right now which are
and are not reiscent of other moments in LA history.
And sometimes we wrongly ascribe memories and think that well,
this is just like, no, it isn't, or though this
(02:06):
has nothing to do with oh, yes it does. And
you go back and you start digging into the history
and looking at what did happen Let's say in nineteen
seventy at Kent State, Let's say here in nineteen ninety two,
in the post Rodney King verdict, let's say in twenty
twenty during the George Floyd protests, And you realize they're
(02:29):
all very, very different as far as what is happening
on the ground and also their larger significance in the
sense of how we'll tell this story later on. And
I know, just because some of the geography is similar,
people want to compare this to George Floyd in twenty twenty,
or they want to compare it to the Rodney King
(02:50):
verdict in nineteen ninety two. They're not even close to
being you know, I mean Rodney King. They had some
sixty deaths, three thousand I think people arrested, and untold
numbers of buildings were burned to the ground up and
down the major avenues like Vermont, Normandy, Western, Crenshaw. And
(03:17):
you could see it like they had like satellite photos.
You could see it from space. How many fires were
burning here in Los Angeles. I'm old enough to remember
it firsthand. I remember I was driving down the one
ten freeway south passing Florence at Florence Boulevard when the
(03:38):
first reports came in of rocks being thrown at Florence
and Normandy. I'm south on the one ten passing the
Florence exit as it was unfolding. I was working for
the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra at the time, and interestingly enough,
I was listening to the late Jim Healy on KMPC
seven ten, and I was just that was my time
(04:00):
where I was just learning more and more about radio
and the magic of using sound effects and telling stories
on the radio. Had no idea where life was going
to lead me, but I remember that we were all
under curfew and I'll get to that in just a second.
We're all under curfew that night and the subsequent days,
(04:20):
I don't know how long, maybe up to a week.
And yes, we know the National Guard came to Los Angeles.
And I'll take you back in history and I'll pay
play you the speech of then President George Herbert Walker
Bush and how that moment unfolded. There's a lot of
history here that can be very instructive as far as
(04:41):
what is going on, how things are comparable, and how
things are not comparable. But let's talk about the curfew
which was recently announced by Mayor Karen Bass here in
LA And now, if you want to make a comparison
to Rodney King or George Floyd, this was a limit,
very limited in scope curfew as far as the area involved,
(05:05):
and it's actually done under somewhat different circumstances. It's not
like we've had the same type of violence or the
same level of looting and incidents that we had in
George Floyd or Rodney King as of yet this is
almost like preemptive. We had talked about this last night
with Michael Monks about whether that might have been in
(05:27):
order to at least make sure that there were fewer
people hanging out downtown. From the different reports that I've
seen and heard, it was somewhere between like eighty and
one hundred depending on the news outlet. That's what they
were estimating. As if you want to go back to
twenty twenty or even nineteen ninety two, no, we're talking thousands.
(05:49):
I remember when a Parker Center was attacked by protesters
and people who were trying to foment violence on Parker Center.
I remember what that was like and how everything had
shut down in the city. Did you know last night
they had the bt BT Awards within walking distance of
(06:12):
the protests walking distance? Did you know that they had
an La Sparks game at Crypto dot Com Arena walking
distance from the protests. These things are just not the same.
During nineteen ninety two, everything was shut down. No one
could go anywhere. They were not having events, there were
(06:32):
there were no there were no Laker games going on.
There were no Kings games. I mean, you know, Dodger
games going on at that time of year. Even Lakers
at that point it was not going on. It's a
different situation. But here's Marrek Karen Bass.
Speaker 3 (06:47):
Many businesses have now been affected by our vandalize last night.
There were twenty three businesses that were looted, and I
think that if you drive through downtown LA, the graffiti
is everywhere and has caused significant damages to businesses and
a number of properties. So my message to you is,
(07:10):
if you do not live or work in downtown LA,
avoid the area. Law enforcement will arrest individuals who break
the curfew and you will be prosecuted. Hundreds of officers
from police and sheriff departments from across the region and
state are working alongside LAPD through a unified command structure.
(07:32):
The curfew will be an advice tonight from eight pm
until six am. I want to thank the Governor for
his partnership, and especially thank our state and local leaders
and deputies officers and deputies who are working tirelessly. So
curfew guidance again.
Speaker 2 (07:49):
It will begin at eight.
Speaker 3 (07:51):
Pm tonight and go until six am tomorrow. I will
consult with elected leaders and law enforcement officials tomorrow on
the continuation of the curfew, but we certainly expect for
it to last for several days. The curfew will be
The curfew area will be between the five Freeway and
to the one ten and the ten Freeway to where
(08:13):
the one ten Freeway and five Freeway merge. You look
and look at the map and you can see that
the city of Los Angeles is a massive area five
hundred and two square miles. The area of downtown where
the curfew will take place is one square mile. I
think it is important to point this out, not to
(08:33):
minimize the vandalism and violence that has taken place there.
It has been significant, but it is extremely important to
know that what is happening in this one square mile
is not affecting the city. Some of the imagery of
the protests and the violence gives the appearance as though
this is a city wide crisis, and it is not so.
(08:56):
Who everyone must abide by this curfew. Limited exceptions will
apply for residents, people traveling to and from work, and
credentialed media representatives.
Speaker 2 (09:07):
We'll have the words of LAPD chief Jim McDonald when
we come back.
Speaker 1 (09:13):
You're listening to Later with Moe Kelly on demand from
KFI AM six forty.
Speaker 2 (09:21):
AM six forty It's mo Kelly. We're Life Everywhere on
the iHeartRadio app. Of course, we are continuing to follow
this story. It's a little bit different tonight. We know
that there is a curfew which is going to be
in place. We just told you about it. We replayed
the audio of Mayor Karen Bass. Is going to begin
at apm tonight and we'll go all the way through
(09:41):
six am. She did indicate that probably it would be
for multiple days. Now, if we want to make comparisons
to the past, like I was intimating last segment, this
seems preemptive. It's not to stop what has been going on. Largely, Yes,
there were I think she said, one hundred arrests yesterday.
(10:02):
She made mention of looting and other vandalism, that's what
it was, and graffiti. But it's to make sure that
people are not amassing unnecessarily downtown within that area in
and around the Federal building. We heard from Mayor Bass
last segment. Now we're going to hear from LAPD Chief Jim.
Speaker 4 (10:22):
McDonald as the mayor stated a curfew for the impacted
areas shown here will go into effect tonight, and I
want to be absolutely clear that if you win, if
you're within that designated curfew zone between the hours of
eight pm and six am and are not exempt under
the order, you're going to be subject to arrest. The
curfew boundaries are as follows, from the five Freeway to
(10:43):
the one ten Freeway and from the ten Freeway to
the point where the one ten and the five merge.
Speaker 2 (10:49):
Easier to look at it on that map for description.
Speaker 4 (10:52):
The curfew is necessary, a necessary measure to protect lives
and safeguard property. Following several consecutive days of growing unrest
throughout the city since Saturday, we've seen a concerning escalation
and unlawful and dangerous behavior. On Saturday, LAPD officers made
twenty seven arrests on summer. On Sunday, that number rose
(11:14):
to forty. By Monday, arrest totaled one hundred and fourteen,
and today alone we've made one hundred and ninety seven arrests.
Some the recent days it's been as a part of
a unified command with our partner agencies who've responded through
Mutual Aid Compact and been very very helpful to us,
and we're very thankful for that participation. Of those I
(11:34):
mentioned for today, one hundred and thirty were arrested near
Commercial and Alameda. An additional sixty seven were taken into
custody after unlawfully occupying the one oh one Freeway.
Speaker 2 (11:45):
Let me back up the Commercial in Alameda, that means
right in front of the Federal building. That's exactly where
it is, so you have a point of reference. You
say commercial in Alameda and Tweli, you and I were
talking about. Those who probably got arrested were the knuckleheads
who did not disperse last night, probably throwing the fireworks
of the improvise firework devices, that kind of thing. Those
(12:08):
are the individuals I'm guessing here are the are the
likely culprits.
Speaker 5 (12:12):
Anyone who was out after dark, after all the protesters
left it went out there rabble rousers and individuals looking
for trouble instigators.
Speaker 2 (12:23):
That's who got arrested.
Speaker 4 (12:24):
They founded an additional sixty seven were taken into custody
after unlawfully occupying the one oh one Freeway near Commercial Street.
Our CHP partners were instrumental in that. So again, let
me be clear that this behavior blocking freeways, city streets
and on ramps, refusing to comply with lawful dispersal orders,
and interfering with public safety operations is dangerous, unlawful, and
(12:49):
won't be tolerated if you are in the curfew zone
during the restricted hours without that legal exemption.
Speaker 2 (12:55):
You will be arrested.
Speaker 4 (12:56):
If you an assault an officer in any fashion, you
will be arrested. We're operating under a unified command with
our partners at the Los Angeles City Fire Department, the
Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department, the California Highway Patrol. We're
fully coordinated and our shared mission is clear to restore
peace and ensure the safety of everyone in our city.
(13:17):
We previously mobilized part of our department at LAPD while
keeping our ability to be able to provide the services
that our community deserves going. We're going to be adding
to that deployment with additional internal LAPD resources in the
days ahead. The curfew does not apply to residence within
(13:37):
the designated area, individuals experiencing homelessness, credentialed media, or public
safety and emergency personnel. To be clear, again, that's not
about silencing voices or suppressing lawful protest. When that expression
crosses into unlawful conduct, when lives are put at risk,
and when our city safety is compromised, we must act,
(13:58):
and we will act where age all Angelinos to cooperate
with these public safety measures. Our shared goal is to
protect our communities and return to a state of calm
and safety for everyone.
Speaker 2 (14:10):
Thank you. That was LAPD Chief Jim McDonald from maybe
an hour ago earlier this evening, detailing from a law
enforcement perspective, what is going to be the expectation for
you and anyone who may even think of going into
the area. Please don't. If you don't live in that area,
don't go down there. You don't have any business down there.
(14:31):
You will be arrested and you're just making it worse
for law enforcement to maintain control of the situation. Yes,
they're going to be some idiots. Yes, they're going to
be some agitators. Yes, there's going to be someone who's
going to try to push the boundaries because there is
a curfew and effect and they want to try law enforcement.
I highly recommend that you don't do that because they'll
(14:53):
be waiting on you, and if anything, you'll have less
leeway tonight during a curfew situation than any other time.
When we come back. I said at the at the
beginning of the show that this is a different time,
but there are things that we can look to in
the past as a comparison point. The Marines are now here,
(15:15):
the National Guard obviously is still here. And when we
come back, we're going to go back to May fourth,
nineteen seventy Kent State University. And if there are any
parallels between then and now, that's next.
Speaker 1 (15:29):
You're listening to Later with Mo Kelly on demand from
KFI AM six forty.
Speaker 2 (15:38):
I AM six forty is mo Kelly. We're live everywhere
in the iHeartRadio app. Let's go back into the past.
We know because of today the Marines are here, but
there is concern because if you're old enough to remember,
or you're a student of history, there's a concern that
there are unintended consequences with having either or both in
(15:59):
National Guard and active duty Marines, and situations like these.
Back on May fourth, nineteen seventy, at Kent State University
in Ohio, the Ohio National Guard fired on unarmed students
during a demonstration against the Vietnam War. And if you
really know the story, it depends on what you believe.
(16:20):
But some of the National guardsmen said that they heard
or thought there was a sniper who fired on them,
and then they returned fire. There are two things in that. One,
it only takes one person to start something like that,
and then you have people dead, or because emotions are
(16:43):
so high it doesn't even actually have to be something,
and then all of a sudden you have people dead.
That's why people are very concerned about having both the
National Guard and the Marines in a situation which some
would say is unwarranted. We're not at that point, and
(17:05):
over the course of the evening, we'll talk about things
in the past, like the Rodney King verdict and those riots,
actual riots, and what was happening and why. Then the
Governor Pete Wilson of California and also the then mayor
Tom Bradley went to the President George H. W. Bush,
and they collaboratively and cooperatively decided to bring in the
(17:30):
National Guard and also Marines. So there is historical precedent.
But right now, let's talk about Kent State. What happened
in nineteen seventy.
Speaker 6 (17:51):
Than sure, guests first started down the commons, Then the
Guard moved up on both sides of Taylor Hall. Of course,
the kids off the commons. Then one group, I don't
know how many there were fifty, maybe perhaps more, perhaps less,
moved down in the practice football field.
Speaker 2 (18:08):
After your feed. And then what we did we asked
them to leave. They've got grievances, they've got demands.
Speaker 6 (18:13):
The demands on both sides.
Speaker 2 (18:15):
We have to talk.
Speaker 6 (18:16):
And then there were a whole lot of kids around them.
A few kids were throwing sticks and stones, but that
was only a handful, no more than ten fifteen. And
then the guard shot some tear gas up on the
hill to disperse the crowd, and the kids picked it
up and threw it back.
Speaker 2 (18:32):
Star I will make a perimeter circle from the right.
Speaker 1 (18:37):
You move on a big circler.
Speaker 7 (18:39):
You don't talk during the state of emergency, Mike, you know,
then come on. Sorry, as you get to settle, they're
sitting quietly, okay.
Speaker 2 (18:49):
We asked them to leave immediately.
Speaker 6 (18:53):
I area immediately, and I'll sudden, I heard them shooting,
and then I saw people dropping to the ground, and
then I fell to the ground also because I couldn't
walk anymore.
Speaker 7 (19:15):
What the investigators have to determine then is whether indeed
there was a sniper, and whether the guard was justified
and firing its weapons, or whether, as some people here believe,
the guard, under the pressure of a rock throwing attack,
panicked and fired its weapons indiscriminately, killing four people. I
like Pappus CBS News at Kent, Ohio.
Speaker 2 (19:36):
That's my concern. That's the general concern when you have
at the duty military and the National Guard in these
high pressure situations and you're having them performing ways. And
actually that's why we try, I should say that the
country tries to not put the National Guard in those
situations as far as trying to either police protesters and
(19:58):
not necessarily in the fall back position, because that's why
you would have those types of incidents, because that's not
their primary responsibility or hasn't been since the Vietnam War.
The hope is that it doesn't escalate to that point
where it's necessary for them to intervene. The hope is that,
like I said earlier in the program, that the Marines
(20:21):
would be to guard the federal building, and that coupled
with the curfew, there will be fewer people there, and
then law enforcement, as their primary responsibility, would arrest anyone
who's even there in the first place. This is I
don't have any firsthand knowledge, but I suspect that's part
of the strategy. In other words, you're not supposed to
(20:42):
be down there anyway, they can arrest you on site.
Then you have law enforcement arrest an individual or any
individuals who are even near the Federal Building or in
that area downtown, and then you don't have to worry about,
or less worry about a direct confrontation between protesters, agitators, idiots, criminals,
(21:05):
and the National Guard and or Marines. When we come back,
we're also going to listen back to nineteen ninety two
May one of nineteen ninety two when George H. W.
Bush addressed the nation regarding the riots here in Los Angeles,
and I want you to listen specifically to some of
(21:26):
the parallels as far as what is happening right now,
and also the understanding of how a president, governor and
mayor historically have always worked together in moments like these.
Speaker 1 (21:40):
You're listening to later with Moe Kelly on demand from
KFI AM six forty.
Speaker 2 (21:49):
Mister bo Kelly here cay if I AM six forty
one live everywhere on the iHeartRadio app. As we continue
to talk about what is been happening, what might happen,
and what's going to happen. What's going to happen. We
do know in the sense of there will be a
curfew put in place. Officially, it's in about nine minutes
about nine minutes the curfew will be put in place.
(22:10):
It's limited in its scope and area, but it will
be from eight pm to six a m. At least
for the foreseeable future. Mayor Baths earlier this evening, when
discussing the curfew, basically hinted at it would be in
for at least a few days. I got the sense
that it was not gonna be a one day thing,
even if completely successful. This is to minimize the number
(22:34):
of arrests, hopefully any incidents of looting or vandalism, trying
to keep people out of this downtown area. And a
number of people have characterized this on the level of
Rodney King riots. It is not even close to that,
not even close. But it did get me thinking about
that time. I remember where I was, and if you
(22:57):
lived in La you probably remember where you were. I
was part of a number of people who were helping
with the cleanup in the subsequent days. The number of
businesses and homes buildings which were burned down. It was
like and I can say this confidently because those who
(23:17):
have served in my family they have said as much.
It was like a war zone in the sense of
the devastation to the city of Los Angeles, and when
you use that as a starting point of comparison, you
look at today very differently, very very differently. But if
you're not old enough to remember, or you may not remember,
(23:37):
back in nineteen ninety two, after the criminal trial of
Stacy Kun, Lawrence Powell, and other officers at LAPD, which
they returned a not guilty verdict, Los Angeles descended into
bonafide riots, and I want to say it enveloped the
(23:58):
majority of the geographical city extending into Los Angeles County.
When people talk about chaos and complete anarchy today right now,
not even close to what was going on during the
Rodney King riots. It was otherworldly then and it is
(24:19):
now to this day. But also during that time, our
governor was Pete Wilson, our mayor Tom Bradley, and at
least during that time and it's a different time today. Unfortunately,
you had elected officials working together for the benefit of
(24:40):
administering a response as to how the city would go
about quelling the violence. You had were all all prongs
of law enforcement working together, and the agreement was made
for not only the National Guard but Marines as well
to come to LA to make sure they could put
(25:03):
a stop to the violence and bring back some degree
of normality after a certain night you had. The sitting President,
George H. W. Bush, addressed the nation, and here's just
a portion of what he said to the public tonight.
Speaker 8 (25:20):
I want to talk to you about violence in our
cities and justice for our citizens, two big issues that
have collided on the streets of Los Angeles. First, an
update on where matters stand in Los Angeles. Fifteen minutes ago,
I talked to California's Governor Pete Wilson and Los Angeles
Mayor Tom Bradley. They told me that last night was
(25:42):
better than the night before, today calmer than yesterday, but
there were still incidents of random terror and lawlessness. This afternoon,
in the wake of the first night's violent I spoke
directly to both Governor Wilson and Mayor Bradley to assess
the situation into all for assistance. There are two very
(26:02):
different issues it had. One is the urgent need to
restore order. What followed Wednesday's jury verdict in the Rodney
King case was a tragic series of events for the
city of Los Angeles. Nearly four thousand fires, staggering property damage,
hundreds of injuries and the senseless deaths of over thirty
(26:24):
people to restore order. Right now, there are three thousand
National Guardsmen on duty in the city of Los Angeles.
Another twenty two hundred stand ready to provide immediate support.
To supplement this effort. I've taken several additional actions. First,
this morning, I have ordered the Justice Department to dispatch
(26:46):
one thousand federal riot trained law enforcement officials to help
restore order in Los Angeles beginning tonight. These officials include
FBI SWAT teams, special riot control units of the US
US Marshal Service, of the Border Patrol, and other federal
law enforcement agencies. Second, another one thousand federal law enforcement
(27:09):
officials are on stand by alert should.
Speaker 2 (27:12):
They be needed.
Speaker 8 (27:13):
Third, early today, I directed three thousand members of the
seventh Infantry and fifteen hundred Marines to stand by at
El Toro Air Station, California tonight. At the request of
the Governor and the Mayor. I have committed these troops
to help restore order. I am also federalizing the National Guard,
(27:36):
and I'm instructing General Colin Powell to place all those
troops under a central command. What we saw last night
and the night before in Los Angeles is not about
civil rights. It's not about the great cause of equality
that all Americans must uphold. It's not a message of protest.
(27:56):
It's been the brutality of a mob, pure and simple.
And let me assure you I will use whatever force
is necessary to restore order. What is going on in
LA must and will stop. As your President, I guarantee
you this violence will end.
Speaker 2 (28:19):
The violence that Los Angeles endured and survived in nineteen
ninety two ten times ten times, maybe twenty times more
than what we're dealing with right now. And hopefully you
know it won't get any closer in comparison. But you
could hear from what President H. George H. W. Bush
(28:41):
was offering to LA. It was for a situation order
of magnitude greater than right now. The amount of federal
support which was being sent to Los Angeles significantly more
than right now. The Marines were already stationed signific delicately more,
and it was done in cooperation and collaboration with both
(29:05):
the governor and the mayor. It's unfortunate. That's the only
word I can think of as far as how polarized
and how politicized this moment is that we can't get
our elected officials to work together. But that's just a
little bit of a comparison point between what was nineteen
ninety two and what is now twenty twenty five. It's
(29:25):
KFI AM six forty. I'm O'Kelly. We're live everywhere in
the iHeartRadio
Speaker 1 (29:29):
App as II and KOSTHD two, Los Angeles, Orange County
more stimulating talk
You're listening to Later with Moe Kelly on demand from
KFI AM six forty.
Speaker 2 (00:13):
AM six. It's Moe Kelly. We're live everywhere on the
iHeartRadio app. We continue to follow the events right now,
at least in downtown. We'll see if anything should change
in and around the city, if anything should change in
and around the country. The Marines are now here in
southern California. Where exactly they will be deployed remains to
(00:37):
be seen, How they will be deployed, how they may
engage remains to be seen. Now there's what the law says,
what active duty military can or cannot do, and there
is what President Trump may expect and demand of these troops.
I can say this often. I talk about how I
(00:58):
was on a federal grand for four months, So when
I talk about the federal building in downtown LA, I
know exactly where it is, how it's configured, how it's
laid out, how that may play into the dynamics of
these ongoing protests around And I mentioned that because most likely,
(01:21):
most likely you will have the Marines, probably along with
the National Guard, in and around that building. It's the
Edward Roybal Federal Building, and you would see them probably
there guarding protecting the Federal building and also providing some
level of support for law enforcement. But today is another day,
(01:46):
I think, an opportunity to provide some context, to provide
some history. There are things happening right now which are
and are not reiscent of other moments in LA history.
And sometimes we wrongly ascribe memories and think that well,
this is just like, no, it isn't, or though this
(02:06):
has nothing to do with oh, yes it does. And
you go back and you start digging into the history
and looking at what did happen Let's say in nineteen
seventy at Kent State, Let's say here in nineteen ninety two,
in the post Rodney King verdict, let's say in twenty
twenty during the George Floyd protests, And you realize they're
(02:29):
all very, very different as far as what is happening
on the ground and also their larger significance in the
sense of how we'll tell this story later on. And
I know, just because some of the geography is similar,
people want to compare this to George Floyd in twenty twenty,
or they want to compare it to the Rodney King
(02:50):
verdict in nineteen ninety two. They're not even close to
being you know, I mean Rodney King. They had some
sixty deaths, three thousand I think people arrested, and untold
numbers of buildings were burned to the ground up and
down the major avenues like Vermont, Normandy, Western, Crenshaw. And
(03:17):
you could see it like they had like satellite photos.
You could see it from space. How many fires were
burning here in Los Angeles. I'm old enough to remember
it firsthand. I remember I was driving down the one
ten freeway south passing Florence at Florence Boulevard when the
(03:38):
first reports came in of rocks being thrown at Florence
and Normandy. I'm south on the one ten passing the
Florence exit as it was unfolding. I was working for
the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra at the time, and interestingly enough,
I was listening to the late Jim Healy on KMPC
seven ten, and I was just that was my time
(04:00):
where I was just learning more and more about radio
and the magic of using sound effects and telling stories
on the radio. Had no idea where life was going
to lead me, but I remember that we were all
under curfew and I'll get to that in just a second.
We're all under curfew that night and the subsequent days,
(04:20):
I don't know how long, maybe up to a week.
And yes, we know the National Guard came to Los Angeles.
And I'll take you back in history and I'll pay
play you the speech of then President George Herbert Walker
Bush and how that moment unfolded. There's a lot of
history here that can be very instructive as far as
(04:41):
what is going on, how things are comparable, and how
things are not comparable. But let's talk about the curfew
which was recently announced by Mayor Karen Bass here in
LA And now, if you want to make a comparison
to Rodney King or George Floyd, this was a limit,
very limited in scope curfew as far as the area involved,
(05:05):
and it's actually done under somewhat different circumstances. It's not
like we've had the same type of violence or the
same level of looting and incidents that we had in
George Floyd or Rodney King as of yet this is
almost like preemptive. We had talked about this last night
with Michael Monks about whether that might have been in
(05:27):
order to at least make sure that there were fewer
people hanging out downtown. From the different reports that I've
seen and heard, it was somewhere between like eighty and
one hundred depending on the news outlet. That's what they
were estimating. As if you want to go back to
twenty twenty or even nineteen ninety two, no, we're talking thousands.
(05:49):
I remember when a Parker Center was attacked by protesters
and people who were trying to foment violence on Parker Center.
I remember what that was like and how everything had
shut down in the city. Did you know last night
they had the bt BT Awards within walking distance of
(06:12):
the protests walking distance? Did you know that they had
an La Sparks game at Crypto dot Com Arena walking
distance from the protests. These things are just not the same.
During nineteen ninety two, everything was shut down. No one
could go anywhere. They were not having events, there were
(06:32):
there were no there were no Laker games going on.
There were no Kings games. I mean, you know, Dodger
games going on at that time of year. Even Lakers
at that point it was not going on. It's a
different situation. But here's Marrek Karen Bass.
Speaker 3 (06:47):
Many businesses have now been affected by our vandalize last night.
There were twenty three businesses that were looted, and I
think that if you drive through downtown LA, the graffiti
is everywhere and has caused significant damages to businesses and
a number of properties. So my message to you is,
(07:10):
if you do not live or work in downtown LA,
avoid the area. Law enforcement will arrest individuals who break
the curfew and you will be prosecuted. Hundreds of officers
from police and sheriff departments from across the region and
state are working alongside LAPD through a unified command structure.
(07:32):
The curfew will be an advice tonight from eight pm
until six am. I want to thank the Governor for
his partnership, and especially thank our state and local leaders
and deputies officers and deputies who are working tirelessly. So
curfew guidance again.
Speaker 2 (07:49):
It will begin at eight.
Speaker 3 (07:51):
Pm tonight and go until six am tomorrow. I will
consult with elected leaders and law enforcement officials tomorrow on
the continuation of the curfew, but we certainly expect for
it to last for several days. The curfew will be
The curfew area will be between the five Freeway and
to the one ten and the ten Freeway to where
(08:13):
the one ten Freeway and five Freeway merge. You look
and look at the map and you can see that
the city of Los Angeles is a massive area five
hundred and two square miles. The area of downtown where
the curfew will take place is one square mile. I
think it is important to point this out, not to
(08:33):
minimize the vandalism and violence that has taken place there.
It has been significant, but it is extremely important to
know that what is happening in this one square mile
is not affecting the city. Some of the imagery of
the protests and the violence gives the appearance as though
this is a city wide crisis, and it is not so.
(08:56):
Who everyone must abide by this curfew. Limited exceptions will
apply for residents, people traveling to and from work, and
credentialed media representatives.
Speaker 2 (09:07):
We'll have the words of LAPD chief Jim McDonald when
we come back.
Speaker 1 (09:13):
You're listening to Later with Moe Kelly on demand from
KFI AM six forty.
Speaker 2 (09:21):
AM six forty It's mo Kelly. We're Life Everywhere on
the iHeartRadio app. Of course, we are continuing to follow
this story. It's a little bit different tonight. We know
that there is a curfew which is going to be
in place. We just told you about it. We replayed
the audio of Mayor Karen Bass. Is going to begin
at apm tonight and we'll go all the way through
(09:41):
six am. She did indicate that probably it would be
for multiple days. Now, if we want to make comparisons
to the past, like I was intimating last segment, this
seems preemptive. It's not to stop what has been going on. Largely, Yes,
there were I think she said, one hundred arrests yesterday.
(10:02):
She made mention of looting and other vandalism, that's what
it was, and graffiti. But it's to make sure that
people are not amassing unnecessarily downtown within that area in
and around the Federal building. We heard from Mayor Bass
last segment. Now we're going to hear from LAPD Chief Jim.
Speaker 4 (10:22):
McDonald as the mayor stated a curfew for the impacted
areas shown here will go into effect tonight, and I
want to be absolutely clear that if you win, if
you're within that designated curfew zone between the hours of
eight pm and six am and are not exempt under
the order, you're going to be subject to arrest. The
curfew boundaries are as follows, from the five Freeway to
(10:43):
the one ten Freeway and from the ten Freeway to
the point where the one ten and the five merge.
Speaker 2 (10:49):
Easier to look at it on that map for description.
Speaker 4 (10:52):
The curfew is necessary, a necessary measure to protect lives
and safeguard property. Following several consecutive days of growing unrest
throughout the city since Saturday, we've seen a concerning escalation
and unlawful and dangerous behavior. On Saturday, LAPD officers made
twenty seven arrests on summer. On Sunday, that number rose
(11:14):
to forty. By Monday, arrest totaled one hundred and fourteen,
and today alone we've made one hundred and ninety seven arrests.
Some the recent days it's been as a part of
a unified command with our partner agencies who've responded through
Mutual Aid Compact and been very very helpful to us,
and we're very thankful for that participation. Of those I
(11:34):
mentioned for today, one hundred and thirty were arrested near
Commercial and Alameda. An additional sixty seven were taken into
custody after unlawfully occupying the one oh one Freeway.
Speaker 2 (11:45):
Let me back up the Commercial in Alameda, that means
right in front of the Federal building. That's exactly where
it is, so you have a point of reference. You
say commercial in Alameda and Tweli, you and I were
talking about. Those who probably got arrested were the knuckleheads
who did not disperse last night, probably throwing the fireworks
of the improvise firework devices, that kind of thing. Those
(12:08):
are the individuals I'm guessing here are the are the
likely culprits.
Speaker 5 (12:12):
Anyone who was out after dark, after all the protesters
left it went out there rabble rousers and individuals looking
for trouble instigators.
Speaker 2 (12:23):
That's who got arrested.
Speaker 4 (12:24):
They founded an additional sixty seven were taken into custody
after unlawfully occupying the one oh one Freeway near Commercial Street.
Our CHP partners were instrumental in that. So again, let
me be clear that this behavior blocking freeways, city streets
and on ramps, refusing to comply with lawful dispersal orders,
and interfering with public safety operations is dangerous, unlawful, and
(12:49):
won't be tolerated if you are in the curfew zone
during the restricted hours without that legal exemption.
Speaker 2 (12:55):
You will be arrested.
Speaker 4 (12:56):
If you an assault an officer in any fashion, you
will be arrested. We're operating under a unified command with
our partners at the Los Angeles City Fire Department, the
Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department, the California Highway Patrol. We're
fully coordinated and our shared mission is clear to restore
peace and ensure the safety of everyone in our city.
(13:17):
We previously mobilized part of our department at LAPD while
keeping our ability to be able to provide the services
that our community deserves going. We're going to be adding
to that deployment with additional internal LAPD resources in the
days ahead. The curfew does not apply to residence within
(13:37):
the designated area, individuals experiencing homelessness, credentialed media, or public
safety and emergency personnel. To be clear, again, that's not
about silencing voices or suppressing lawful protest. When that expression
crosses into unlawful conduct, when lives are put at risk,
and when our city safety is compromised, we must act,
(13:58):
and we will act where age all Angelinos to cooperate
with these public safety measures. Our shared goal is to
protect our communities and return to a state of calm
and safety for everyone.
Speaker 2 (14:10):
Thank you. That was LAPD Chief Jim McDonald from maybe
an hour ago earlier this evening, detailing from a law
enforcement perspective, what is going to be the expectation for
you and anyone who may even think of going into
the area. Please don't. If you don't live in that area,
don't go down there. You don't have any business down there.
(14:31):
You will be arrested and you're just making it worse
for law enforcement to maintain control of the situation. Yes,
they're going to be some idiots. Yes, they're going to
be some agitators. Yes, there's going to be someone who's
going to try to push the boundaries because there is
a curfew and effect and they want to try law enforcement.
I highly recommend that you don't do that because they'll
(14:53):
be waiting on you, and if anything, you'll have less
leeway tonight during a curfew situation than any other time.
When we come back. I said at the at the
beginning of the show that this is a different time,
but there are things that we can look to in
the past as a comparison point. The Marines are now here,
(15:15):
the National Guard obviously is still here. And when we
come back, we're going to go back to May fourth,
nineteen seventy Kent State University. And if there are any
parallels between then and now, that's next.
Speaker 1 (15:29):
You're listening to Later with Mo Kelly on demand from
KFI AM six forty.
Speaker 2 (15:38):
I AM six forty is mo Kelly. We're live everywhere
in the iHeartRadio app. Let's go back into the past.
We know because of today the Marines are here, but
there is concern because if you're old enough to remember,
or you're a student of history, there's a concern that
there are unintended consequences with having either or both in
(15:59):
National Guard and active duty Marines, and situations like these.
Back on May fourth, nineteen seventy, at Kent State University
in Ohio, the Ohio National Guard fired on unarmed students
during a demonstration against the Vietnam War. And if you
really know the story, it depends on what you believe.
(16:20):
But some of the National guardsmen said that they heard
or thought there was a sniper who fired on them,
and then they returned fire. There are two things in that. One,
it only takes one person to start something like that,
and then you have people dead, or because emotions are
(16:43):
so high it doesn't even actually have to be something,
and then all of a sudden you have people dead.
That's why people are very concerned about having both the
National Guard and the Marines in a situation which some
would say is unwarranted. We're not at that point, and
(17:05):
over the course of the evening, we'll talk about things
in the past, like the Rodney King verdict and those riots,
actual riots, and what was happening and why. Then the
Governor Pete Wilson of California and also the then mayor
Tom Bradley went to the President George H. W. Bush,
and they collaboratively and cooperatively decided to bring in the
(17:30):
National Guard and also Marines. So there is historical precedent.
But right now, let's talk about Kent State. What happened
in nineteen seventy.
Speaker 6 (17:51):
Than sure, guests first started down the commons, Then the
Guard moved up on both sides of Taylor Hall. Of course,
the kids off the commons. Then one group, I don't
know how many there were fifty, maybe perhaps more, perhaps less,
moved down in the practice football field.
Speaker 2 (18:08):
After your feed. And then what we did we asked
them to leave. They've got grievances, they've got demands.
Speaker 6 (18:13):
The demands on both sides.
Speaker 2 (18:15):
We have to talk.
Speaker 6 (18:16):
And then there were a whole lot of kids around them.
A few kids were throwing sticks and stones, but that
was only a handful, no more than ten fifteen. And
then the guard shot some tear gas up on the
hill to disperse the crowd, and the kids picked it
up and threw it back.
Speaker 2 (18:32):
Star I will make a perimeter circle from the right.
Speaker 1 (18:37):
You move on a big circler.
Speaker 7 (18:39):
You don't talk during the state of emergency, Mike, you know,
then come on. Sorry, as you get to settle, they're
sitting quietly, okay.
Speaker 2 (18:49):
We asked them to leave immediately.
Speaker 6 (18:53):
I area immediately, and I'll sudden, I heard them shooting,
and then I saw people dropping to the ground, and
then I fell to the ground also because I couldn't
walk anymore.
Speaker 7 (19:15):
What the investigators have to determine then is whether indeed
there was a sniper, and whether the guard was justified
and firing its weapons, or whether, as some people here believe,
the guard, under the pressure of a rock throwing attack,
panicked and fired its weapons indiscriminately, killing four people. I
like Pappus CBS News at Kent, Ohio.
Speaker 2 (19:36):
That's my concern. That's the general concern when you have
at the duty military and the National Guard in these
high pressure situations and you're having them performing ways. And
actually that's why we try, I should say that the
country tries to not put the National Guard in those
situations as far as trying to either police protesters and
(19:58):
not necessarily in the fall back position, because that's why
you would have those types of incidents, because that's not
their primary responsibility or hasn't been since the Vietnam War.
The hope is that it doesn't escalate to that point
where it's necessary for them to intervene. The hope is that,
like I said earlier in the program, that the Marines
(20:21):
would be to guard the federal building, and that coupled
with the curfew, there will be fewer people there, and
then law enforcement, as their primary responsibility, would arrest anyone
who's even there in the first place. This is I
don't have any firsthand knowledge, but I suspect that's part
of the strategy. In other words, you're not supposed to
(20:42):
be down there anyway, they can arrest you on site.
Then you have law enforcement arrest an individual or any
individuals who are even near the Federal Building or in
that area downtown, and then you don't have to worry about,
or less worry about a direct confrontation between protesters, agitators, idiots, criminals,
(21:05):
and the National Guard and or Marines. When we come back,
we're also going to listen back to nineteen ninety two
May one of nineteen ninety two when George H. W.
Bush addressed the nation regarding the riots here in Los Angeles,
and I want you to listen specifically to some of
(21:26):
the parallels as far as what is happening right now,
and also the understanding of how a president, governor and
mayor historically have always worked together in moments like these.
Speaker 1 (21:40):
You're listening to later with Moe Kelly on demand from
KFI AM six forty.
Speaker 2 (21:49):
Mister bo Kelly here cay if I AM six forty
one live everywhere on the iHeartRadio app. As we continue
to talk about what is been happening, what might happen,
and what's going to happen. What's going to happen. We
do know in the sense of there will be a
curfew put in place. Officially, it's in about nine minutes
about nine minutes the curfew will be put in place.
(22:10):
It's limited in its scope and area, but it will
be from eight pm to six a m. At least
for the foreseeable future. Mayor Baths earlier this evening, when
discussing the curfew, basically hinted at it would be in
for at least a few days. I got the sense
that it was not gonna be a one day thing,
even if completely successful. This is to minimize the number
(22:34):
of arrests, hopefully any incidents of looting or vandalism, trying
to keep people out of this downtown area. And a
number of people have characterized this on the level of
Rodney King riots. It is not even close to that,
not even close. But it did get me thinking about
that time. I remember where I was, and if you
(22:57):
lived in La you probably remember where you were. I
was part of a number of people who were helping
with the cleanup in the subsequent days. The number of
businesses and homes buildings which were burned down. It was
like and I can say this confidently because those who
(23:17):
have served in my family they have said as much.
It was like a war zone in the sense of
the devastation to the city of Los Angeles, and when
you use that as a starting point of comparison, you
look at today very differently, very very differently. But if
you're not old enough to remember, or you may not remember,
(23:37):
back in nineteen ninety two, after the criminal trial of
Stacy Kun, Lawrence Powell, and other officers at LAPD, which
they returned a not guilty verdict, Los Angeles descended into
bonafide riots, and I want to say it enveloped the
(23:58):
majority of the geographical city extending into Los Angeles County.
When people talk about chaos and complete anarchy today right now,
not even close to what was going on during the
Rodney King riots. It was otherworldly then and it is
(24:19):
now to this day. But also during that time, our
governor was Pete Wilson, our mayor Tom Bradley, and at
least during that time and it's a different time today. Unfortunately,
you had elected officials working together for the benefit of
(24:40):
administering a response as to how the city would go
about quelling the violence. You had were all all prongs
of law enforcement working together, and the agreement was made
for not only the National Guard but Marines as well
to come to LA to make sure they could put
(25:03):
a stop to the violence and bring back some degree
of normality after a certain night you had. The sitting President,
George H. W. Bush, addressed the nation, and here's just
a portion of what he said to the public tonight.
Speaker 8 (25:20):
I want to talk to you about violence in our
cities and justice for our citizens, two big issues that
have collided on the streets of Los Angeles. First, an
update on where matters stand in Los Angeles. Fifteen minutes ago,
I talked to California's Governor Pete Wilson and Los Angeles
Mayor Tom Bradley. They told me that last night was
(25:42):
better than the night before, today calmer than yesterday, but
there were still incidents of random terror and lawlessness. This afternoon,
in the wake of the first night's violent I spoke
directly to both Governor Wilson and Mayor Bradley to assess
the situation into all for assistance. There are two very
(26:02):
different issues it had. One is the urgent need to
restore order. What followed Wednesday's jury verdict in the Rodney
King case was a tragic series of events for the
city of Los Angeles. Nearly four thousand fires, staggering property damage,
hundreds of injuries and the senseless deaths of over thirty
(26:24):
people to restore order. Right now, there are three thousand
National Guardsmen on duty in the city of Los Angeles.
Another twenty two hundred stand ready to provide immediate support.
To supplement this effort. I've taken several additional actions. First,
this morning, I have ordered the Justice Department to dispatch
(26:46):
one thousand federal riot trained law enforcement officials to help
restore order in Los Angeles beginning tonight. These officials include
FBI SWAT teams, special riot control units of the US
US Marshal Service, of the Border Patrol, and other federal
law enforcement agencies. Second, another one thousand federal law enforcement
(27:09):
officials are on stand by alert should.
Speaker 2 (27:12):
They be needed.
Speaker 8 (27:13):
Third, early today, I directed three thousand members of the
seventh Infantry and fifteen hundred Marines to stand by at
El Toro Air Station, California tonight. At the request of
the Governor and the Mayor. I have committed these troops
to help restore order. I am also federalizing the National Guard,
(27:36):
and I'm instructing General Colin Powell to place all those
troops under a central command. What we saw last night
and the night before in Los Angeles is not about
civil rights. It's not about the great cause of equality
that all Americans must uphold. It's not a message of protest.
(27:56):
It's been the brutality of a mob, pure and simple.
And let me assure you I will use whatever force
is necessary to restore order. What is going on in
LA must and will stop. As your President, I guarantee
you this violence will end.
Speaker 2 (28:19):
The violence that Los Angeles endured and survived in nineteen
ninety two ten times ten times, maybe twenty times more
than what we're dealing with right now. And hopefully you
know it won't get any closer in comparison. But you
could hear from what President H. George H. W. Bush
(28:41):
was offering to LA. It was for a situation order
of magnitude greater than right now. The amount of federal
support which was being sent to Los Angeles significantly more
than right now. The Marines were already stationed signific delicately more,
and it was done in cooperation and collaboration with both
(29:05):
the governor and the mayor. It's unfortunate. That's the only
word I can think of as far as how polarized
and how politicized this moment is that we can't get
our elected officials to work together. But that's just a
little bit of a comparison point between what was nineteen
ninety two and what is now twenty twenty five. It's
(29:25):
KFI AM six forty. I'm O'Kelly. We're live everywhere in
the iHeartRadio
Speaker 1 (29:29):
App as II and KOSTHD two, Los Angeles, Orange County
more stimulating talk
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