Punch - 1965 lyrics

[Produced by: Punch] [News Reel 1] Six days of rioting in a Negro section of Los Angeles left behind scenes reminiscent of war-torn cities. More than a hundred square blocks were decimated by fires and looters, and few buildings were left intact. Firemen were [inaudible] snipers and brick-throwing hoodlums as they attempted to control the fires, many of which were left to burn themselves out. As the national guard moved in to restore comparative calm, the losses by fire alone were put at $200 million. No attempt has yet been made to estimate the losses suffered at the hands of the looters who stole everything from liquor to playpens [I Have a Dream: Martin Luther King] Let freedom ring from the curvaceous slopes of California! But not only that; let freedom ring from Stone Mountain of Georgia! [News Reel 2] Firemen were later issued flak suits of bulletproof mesh to protect them from snipers who continued to shoot from rooftops. Nearly 3,000 were arrested and authorities had to open abandoned jails to house those netted by the police. It took the appearance of 14,000 troops to bring an end to what both Negro and white leaders called "insurrection by hoodlums." Civil rights leaders were quick to deplore the unbridled lawlessness, and Martin Luther King vowed to do all in his power to prevent a recurrence in Los Angeles or anywhere [News Reel 3] ..... A curfew was put into effect and the entire section declared off-limits to all but residents. The people who live here are suffering great hardship with no grocery, drug or other service stores able to operate