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Fact check: How many times has the National Guard been deployed for riots in Los Angeles history?
Checked on June 9, 2025
1. Summary of the results
Based on multiple sources, there have been three confirmed major deployments of the National Guard in Los Angeles history:
- The 1965 Watts protests, where over 30 people were killed, with two-thirds shot by police or National Guard troops [1]
- The 1992 Rodney King riots, which became one of the deadliest race riots in American history with 63 deaths [1]
- The 2020 George Floyd protests, where approximately 8,000 National Guard troops were deployed to Los Angeles County [1]
2. Missing context/alternative viewpoints
Several important contextual elements are missing from the original question:
- The deployments have occurred primarily during periods of civil unrest and racial tensions [2]
- The presence of National Guard troops has sometimes intensified tensions rather than calming situations, particularly during civil rights and racial justice protests [2]
- The National Guard has also been deployed for natural disasters, not just civil unrest [3]
- In the 1965 Watts protests specifically, the majority of casualties were caused by law enforcement and National Guard actions [1]
3. Potential misinformation/bias in the original statement
The question itself could lead to oversimplification of complex historical events:
- Simply counting deployments doesn't capture the scale and impact of each deployment. For example, the 2020 deployment involved 8,000 troops, while numbers for earlier deployments varied [1]
- The question doesn't address the underlying causes of these deployments, which consistently relate to racial justice and civil rights issues [2]
- Different stakeholders might interpret these deployments differently:
- Law enforcement might view them as necessary security measures
- Civil rights activists might see them as examples of state oppression, particularly given the casualties in events like the Watts protests [1]
- Government officials might emphasize their role in maintaining order during both civil unrest and natural disasters [3]
Want to dive deeper?
What was the role of the National Guard during the 1992 Los Angeles riots?
How does National Guard deployment for civil unrest work in California?
What other major riots in Los Angeles required military intervention?
What is the legal authority for deploying National Guard during domestic unrest?
How effective has National Guard deployment been in controlling Los Angeles riots?