Third day (Friday, May 1)[edit]
The third day was punctuated by live footage of Rodney King at an impromptu news conference in front of his lawyer's Los Angeles offices on Wilshire & Doheny, tearfully saying, "People, I just want to say, you know, can we all get along?"
[66][67] That morning, at 1:00 am,
California Governor Pete Wilson had requested
federal assistance. Upon request, President George H. W. Bush invoked the
Insurrection Act via
Executive Order 12804, federalizing the California Army National Guard and authorizing federal military personnel to help restore law and order,
[68] but it was not ready until Saturday, by which time the rioting and looting was under control. Meanwhile, the
40th Infantry Division (doubled to 4,000 troops) of the California Army National Guard continued to move into the city in
Humvees, eventually seeing 10,000 Army National Guard troops activated. Additionally, a varied contingent of 1,700
federal law enforcement officers from different agencies across the state began to arrive, to protect federal facilities and assist local police. As darkness fell, the main riot area was further hit by a
power cut.[
citation needed]