Watts community leaders call for peace amid George Floyd protests

WATTS, LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- In Watts Tuesday, community leaders issued a plea for continued peace.

Elected officials, clergy, workers and others came together to show unity and share a proactive message.

They say Watts has come a long way since the uprisings of 1965 and 1992.

They say they support peaceful protests, but will not stand for any violence.

They also called for solidarity with law enforcement.

In August 1965, the Watts riots started when a white CHP officer pulled over a 21-year-old black man for drunk driving. An argument escalated into a confrontation that eventually spread to larger violence over six days, claiming 34 lives and causing $40 million in damage.

Community leaders look back at Watts riots 50 years later

On Monday, community leaders said many of the underlying problems that sparked the Watts riots still remain.

In 1992, violence, including rioting, fires and looting, gripped much of the Los Angeles region when a jury acquitted four LAPD officers in the beating of Rodney King.

RELATED: Looking back at key moments during the 1992 Los Angeles riots

On April 29, 1992, a jury acquitted four LAPD officers in the beating of Rodney King, sparking the L.A. riots.