Residents rally at the corner of 92nd and Bandera Street in South L.A. | Leah Harari
Fifty years ago, pent up frustration and racial tension became fuel for the Watts Riots, in which 34 people died. And on Thursday, union activists and Watts residents cited the 50th anniversary of the riots to express their frustration at how little attention their streets receive from the city.
A small crowd rallied at the corner of East 92nd and Bandera Streets, where since 2001, residents have been asking the city to install a stoplight. The intersection is across from a senior citizens apartment building and just a few blocks from 92nd Street Elementary School.
“I live in South Los Angeles and many times people in South Los Angeles are overlooked,” said Simboa Wright, an employee of the Los Angeles Sanitation Department, who said his neighborhood takes a backseat to neighborhoods on the Westside such as Brentwood.
“I haven’t seen any improvement,” said longtime resident Katie Smith. “If you go up and down the streets, you’ll see they are nasty. Go down the alleys, just clutter with filth and stuff.”
Many people were holding #FixLA signs, referring to the coalition of unions and community organizations that are lobbying the city to restore services that have been cut.
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