When asked a question by a reporter about the riots as well as increased violence against ICE agents, Bass responded, "Well let me just say the 'riots' that were reported never happened."
"We did have a couple of incidents of vandalism and looting, but the way it was portrayed nationally was like the whole city was up in flames, the comparison to 1992. It was completely 100 percent inappropriate," Bass added.
The 1992 riots lasted for 6 days after four police officers were acquitted in the beating of Rodney King. Some 10,000 armed troops from the California National Guard, LAPD, and US Armed Forces were deployed to control the situation. Those riots saw 63 people killed, 2,383 people injured, over 12,000 arrests, and property damage over $1 billion.
The reporter had also referenced an incident in Texas where ICE agents and other federal law enforcement were attacked and asked Bass for her thoughts on how to control violence in LA against ICE in general. Bass said that she had "no idea what happened in Texas" and dismissed the broader question of how to address violence against federal agents in LA as well.
During the ICE riots earlier in June, police were assaulted, five Waymo cars were lit on fire, and mass looting occured in downtown LA over the course of multiple days. In a single night during the riots, over 100 people were arrested for looting. Others were arrested for arson and attempted murder over the course of the civil unrest.
Bass and California Governor Gavin Newsom both previously blamed the violence on Trump after the president sent in the National Guard to protect federal agents. In one instance, a rioter threw a rock through the back windshield of police car that was driving through the area. Newsom has also sued the Trump administration for sending the National Guard troops.
