Whites could not understand
why blacks were not thankful instead of being angry.
In spite of the rumors that the riot was the result of conspiratorial
planning, the activities of the rioters and of the law enforcement
units displayed a crazy, unreal quality as the riot unfolded. It began
with a rather routine arrest for drunken driving. Marquette Frye, a
young black, was stopped by a white motorcycle officer and asked to
take a standard sobriety test. In the course of arresting Frye, along
with his brother and mother who were both objecting to the police
action, the officers resorted to more force than many of the
bystanders thought was necessary. The spectators became transformed
into a hostile mob. As the police cars departed, youths began to pelt
the vehicles with rocks and bottles. They continued to harass other
traffic passing through the area. For a time, the police stayed
outside the area, hoping that it would cool down. Then, believing that
it was time to restore order, a line of police charged down the street
clearing the mob. The police clubbed and beat anyone who did not get
out of the way.
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