Dennis RomeroThere's a reason local cops often keep riot helmets in the trunks of their patrol cars: L.A. is a national riot capital. We don't have soccer hooligans but, for some reason, stuff pops off here like a cork in Sean Combs' bottle (or like an airbag in Amanda Bynes' car).
Blame the medieval disparity between our many billionaires and legions of paupers, our year-round heat waves, or the hot women who send macho hormones soaring.
Or, just blame the kids. Because it's mostly them having all the fun. Here are L.A.'s top 5 contemporary youth riots:
5. Electric Daisy Carnival. Not a proper riot, sure. But riotous? Maybe a little. Several if not hundreds of partygoers at this 2010 rave crashed barriers to field level at the L.A. Coliseum, ending in injury for some. It was caught on video. And the party would be the last EDC at the Coliseum, as controversy over the subsequent ecstasy overdose death of a 15-year-old raver who had sneaked in soured public officials on raves at the venue.
4. The Hollywood Rave Riot. EDC again! Well, not entirely. Maybe. EDC's promoters happened to be holding a Hollywood screening of a documentary about that momentous, 2010 party (yes, they were proud of it) in the summer of 2011 when frequent EDC headliner Kaskade tweeted that there would be a free DJ party out front about the same time. EDC dancers happened to be right there, too! And so did hundreds of raver kids, who blocked the intersection of Hollywood Boulevard and Highland Avenue until cops came out in riot gear. One organizer told us Kaskade's performance was planned as part of the film's red-carpet festivities. No injuries were reported, except to a cop car.
Hey ho, let's go.; Credit: @ms_randall
3. Punk Rock Riot. Been a while since we put on our Dr. Martens, but anyone who says punk rock is dead in L.A. wasn't at the TSOL show at the Key Club in January 2011. The mohawk nation represented with rocks and bottles, which are the punk way of saying hi to your friendly, neighborhood sheriff's deputy. Cops told us that bouncers got into it with some rowdies inside the club and that when deputies arrived, the crowd was ready for more. Six people were taken into custody. One person was injured. Oy.
2. Art Walk Riot. Occupy L.A. got its ass kicked when LAPD kicked occupiers off the City Hall lawn a few days after Thanksgiving weekend last year. But occupiers surprised us all when they went mano-a-mano with LAPD in July over … chalk art. That's right, Occupy claimed that cops were harassing its members simply for drawing on sidewalks during a Downtown ArtWalk. So they took to the streets and allegedly blocked an intersection. That's when the riot gear came out. Four officers were injured and 17 people were arrested. Fun.
Credit: @fullyclaired
1. Hollywood Skater Riot. Growing up, skateboarders were more often than not white kids from the 'burbs. Who knew that skating would grow a pair? A very urban pair. Apparently pissed off about nothing in particular, skaters allegedly threw rocks and bottles at cops responding to crowds outside the Vine Theater over the weekend, where skate flick Bake and Destroy was screening. (And yes, it did screen.) Police told us as many as 500 skaters took to the streets and failed, at least at first, to disperse. No injuries were reported, and a good time was had by all (except the cops).
[@dennisjromero / djromero@laweekly.com / @LAWeeklyNews]
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