After the Fire: NewsHour Coverage of Civil Unrest in America, 1991-2021

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Annotated List of Events

1991, Crown Heights Riots

The riots broke out on August 19, 1991, following the death of a seven-year-old Black boy, Gavin Cato. He and his sister, who was severely injured, were hit by a car driven by a Hasidic Jewish man in the Crown Heights neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York. In response, a number of Hasidic Jews in Brooklyn were attacked by groups of young Black men, resulting in the death of a visiting student, Yankel Rosenbaum.11

1992, L.A. Riots

Following the acquittal on charges of assault of the four police officers tried for beating Rodney King, the acquittal of three of the officers on excessive force charges, and the failure of the jury to reach a verdict on excessive force charges against one of the officers, riots broke out in South Central L.A. and spread throughout the city. Sixty-three people died, more than 2,000 were injured, and 12,000 people were arrested. The property damage was estimated to be over one billion dollars, and tens of thousands of people lost their jobs after the riots.

1999, Seattle WTO Protests

During a World Trade Organization meeting in Seattle, tens of thousands of demonstrators took to the streets to protest economic and environmental impacts of globalization. They illegally blocked intersections, preventing members from assembling at the convention center, while a fringe group of black-clad anarchists smashed windows, looted, and vandalized businesses. After the first day of protesting, the Seattle mayor declared a state of emergency and the police started making mass arrests. The protests continued for four days, from November 30 to December 3, ceasing when the WTO conference ended.12

2001, Cincinnati Riots

After the death of Timothy Thomas, an unarmed Black man shot by Officer Stephen Roach, protests broke out in Cincinnati. In addition to peaceful protests, there was looting, vandalism, and incidents of arson. This incident caused more than $3.6 million of damage and led to a subsequent boycott of Cincinnati by Black entertainers like Whoopi Goldberg and Smokey Robinson.13

2007, MacArthur Park Rallies

Police clashed with demonstrators during an immigration rally in Los Angeles, calling for immigration reform. Police officers shoved, beat, and shot protesters at a close range. Officers also assaulted a couple of journalists. In total, fifteen demonstrators and eight officers were injured during this incident, and nine people were arrested.14

2011, Madison Occupation

In an effort to block state legislation that would strip many public sector union workers of bargaining rights in Wisconsin, 65,000 demonstrators rallied outside and took up camp in the Wisconsin Capitol Building.15 The occupation lasted months, but the bill was eventually signed into law.

2011, Occupy Movement

Calling out economic inequality and corporate greed, the Occupy Movement began in September 2011 when a group of demonstrators camped out in Zuccotti Park near the New York Stock Exchange. The movement was partially inspired by populist uprisings in North Africa and the Middle East, which made frequent use of social media as a tool of rebellion. Occupy Wall Street likewise used social media to fuel the cause, and the movement spread across the country as demonstrators began to occupy spaces in major cities, including Los Angeles, Oakland, San Francisco, Denver, Boston, and Chicago. These demonstrators encountered frequent clashes with police, and there were mass arrests weekly and forced evictions from the camps.16

2014, Ferguson Protests

Following the death of Michael Brown, an unarmed 18-year-old Black teenager shot by Officer Darren Wilson in Ferguson, Missouri, protests broke out on August 10 and continued throughout the month. The police responded to these protests violently, firing tear gas and bean bag rounds at the crowds.17 While most of these demonstrations were peaceful, there were incidents of looting, vandalism, and arson. In November, the unrest continued after the courts failed to indict Officer Wilson, and it picked up once again after the one-year anniversary of Brown’s death.18 These incidents of unrest sparked nationwide protests and conversations about policing in America.

2014, Eric Garner Protests

After the death of Eric Garner, a 43-year-old Black man killed in Staten Island by Officer Daniel Pantaleo in an illegal chokehold, and the failed indictment of the officer, protests and demonstrations spread throughout New York City and across the country.19

2015, Baltimore Riots

Following the death of Freddie Gray on April 18, 2015, from a fatal spinal cord injury sustained by a forceful arrest and subsequent transport-related injuries, the city erupted in both peaceful and violent protests. In addition to marches, there were incidents of looting, vandalism, and arson. The National Guard was called in and the Maryland governor declared a state of emergency on April 27. The unrest ended on April 28.20

2016, Charlotte Riot

After the police shooting of Keith Lamont Scott, a 43-year-old Black man, demonstrations spread throughout the city. They were peaceful during the day, but at night there were incidents of rock and bottle throwing at the police, vandalism, and arson. The police responded by shooting rubber bullets and tear gas at the protesters.21

2016, Dakota Access Pipeline Protests

In protesting the Dakota pipeline’s route through the Missouri River, the water source for the Standing Rock Sioux Reservation, members of the Sioux tribe and their supporters clashed numerous times with the police. There were mass arrests at the demonstration site, and police sprayed protesters with tear gas and water.22

2017, Trump Inauguration

Anti-Trump protests broke out all over the U.S. on the day of Donald Trump’s presidential inauguration. In Washington, D.C., there were clashes with police, and 217 protesters were arrested.23

2017, Charlottesville Rally and Counter-Protests

A group of white supremacists gathering for a “Unite the Right” rally in Charlottesville clashed with a large group of counter-protesters on August 12, 2017. One woman was killed and nineteen were injured after a white nationalist drove a car through a crowd of counter-protesters.24

2017, St. Louis Protests

After the acquittal of Officer Jason Stockley in the killing of Anthony Lamar Smith, protests broke out throughout the city of St. Louis on September 15. While the protests during the day were peaceful, they turned violent at night and windows were smashed and store fronts vandalized. The police responded violently and made over 100 arrests during the first two days of protests. The unrest continued through September into October.25 The ACLU filed a lawsuit against the St. Louis police for their unlawful use of force against the protesters.26

2020, George Floyd and BLM Protests

Following the death of George Floyd on May 25, 2020, after Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin kneeled on his neck for over nine minutes, protests began in Minneapolis and soon spread across the country and around the world. In response to this incident of police brutality, the police precinct in Minneapolis was set ablaze, police cars were set on fire in Los Angeles and Atlanta, and in many other cities, there was looting, vandalism, and violence. According to Time, “The protests have triggered civic unrest in America at a scale not seen since the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. in 1968.” George Floyd’s death and the subsequent protests led to widespread calls for police reform and defunding.27

2021, United States Capitol Insurrection

On January 6, 2021, in an attempt to block certification by a joint session of Congress of the Electoral College votes for president and overturn the election, thousands of demonstrators swarmed the U.S. Capitol and trespassed inside the building. While Members of Congress and Capitol building staff went into lockdown, the rioters occupied the building, attacked police officers, and destroyed property. Five people died and costs for repairing damages were more than $30 million.28 The House of Representatives impeached President Donald Trump on charges of inciting an insurrection, the second time he was impeached, and although he was acquitted by the Senate, a number of investigations into the events of January 6 were begun.29

Next: Notes

Exhibit Sections

L.A. Riots
Occupy Wall Street
Ferguson
Baltimore
Charlottesville
Annotated List of Events
Resource:

Curator

Kate Mitchell

2021 Library of Congress Junior Fellow and Master of Information student at Rutgers University School of Communication & Information

Additional Resources

American Insurrection (Frontline)
Black Lives Matter (BLM) Web Archive
Black Lives Matter at School Web Archive
George Floyd Protests: A Timeline (New York Times)
A Year of Racial Justice Protests (Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project)
Final Report. Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the United States Capitol (House of Representatives)