The 1992 Los Angeles riots were a series of event of organized action.
The 1992 Los Angeles riots , also known as the Rodney King riots , the South Central riots , the 1992 Los Angeles civil disturbance , the 1992 Los Angeles civil unrest , and the Los Angeles uprising , were a series of riots , lootings , arsons , and civil disturbances that occurred in Los Angeles County , California in April and May 1992 . A riot ( [ ˈraɪət ] ) is a form of civil disorder commonly characterized by a group lashing out in a violent public disturbance against authority , property or people .