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Posted on 06/22/2025 10:14:10 AM PDT by Libloather
LOS ANGELES — It’s been more than three decades since Yongsik Lee grabbed a shotgun and climbed to the top of his furniture store during the 1992 Los Angeles riots — becoming one of the infamous era’s “Rooftop Koreans.”
After protesters once again squared off with cops on LA’s streets — this time over federal raids targeting migrants — the armed vigilantes who defended the city’s Koreatown are back in vogue.
The “rooftop Koreans” became a viral punchline and meme for anyone who worried LA was descending into violence, and thought Mayor Karen Bass wasn’t doing enough to crack down.
Donald Trump Jr. posted an image to X of an armed man on a roof during the latest rioting in LA along with the caption: “Everybody rioting until the roof starts speaking Korean.”
Lee says the memes sling-shotting around the internet don’t do justice for how scary the times were — and how different the recent round of LA protests and riots are from 1992.
“All of the Korean people, we were just focused on protecting our property. And we were also trying to protect the pride and spirit of our Korean community,” said Lee, who immigrated in 1981 and served in both the Korean and American armed forces.
“We didn’t want to [fight.] We wanted peace,” he said.
Now-historic photos at the time captured Korean men with rifles perched atop buildings as rioters moved through the city in May 1992.
(Excerpt) Read more at nypost.com ...
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From one of the pics:
>>Korean-American men with rifles on the roof of a grocery store during the 1992 riots in Los Angeles.
Clearly two men, one holding a rifle, one holding a shotgun with the action open.
Not that I would expect a modern urinalist to know the difference.
The story isn’t about the ‘vigilante’ Koreans. It’s about govt/police failure to do their jobs. When govt failed those who wanted to be left alone to live a peaceful life were forced to protect their properties.
They clearly did what was right and appropriate and it was, and is, beautiful.
Exactly!
Apparently the Koreans sent for reinforcements from Korea who were on their way - when the riots ended.
When the government won’t protect your life, property, family, etc. you must take action do these jobs yourself.
They were the exact embodiment of what the Second Amendment means by “a well-regulated militia”.
They were the exact embodiment of what the Second Amendment means by “a well-regulated militia”.
that is the essence of the 2nd. it is not about guns.
Well regulated means of like mind, warriors with a cause.
I love the fact they are both smoking.
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