Chapter 73: Baltimore, Los Angeles Riots
[Chapter 73: Baltimore, Los Angeles Riots]
Baltimore is the largest city in Maryland and an important Atlantic port city on the East Coast of the United States.
It's also a major cultural hub in the East, home to many research institutions and universities. The renowned Maryland Institute College of Art is located here.
At the same time, Baltimore is one of the cities with the most severe wealth disparity. The northern part of the city is an upscale residential area with numerous parks and green spaces; the eastern area near the harbor is largely a predominantly black, impoverished neighborhood, with widespread signs of neglect and disorder.
This perfectly suited the filming needs for Step Up's location scenes.
The production crew had pre-rented the Hilton Garden Inn at Baltimore's Inner Harbor, a three-star hotel. It wasn't luxurious but was quiet and had enough rooms for the crew's use.
Since the largest group dance scenes were already shot in Los Angeles, apart from the crew and a few main actors, only a small number of extras came to Baltimore for filming.
...
Tonight's scenes continued from the earlier club scene with Tyra dancing and the gang member PJ (Ice Cube) threatening them with a gun. The three rushed out from the nightclub onto the street.
The production had secured permits from the local government to rent a street in the eastern part of the city from 9 PM to 4 AM. The local police department dispatched officers to maintain order at both ends of the street.
Late April in Baltimore was warm; even at night, there was no chill. By 9:30 PM, everyone on set was in position.
"Alright, departments ready..." Linton called out, then handed over on-site command to Zack.
...
"Don't push me," Linton impatiently brushed off George Talley's hand from his back.
"Hey! You wanna be like Rocky? That's a PJ! You can't just go against him like that!"
...
There were four night scenes all set on this street. By about 3 AM, they finally wrapped all the scenes.
Linton and Zack discussed to ensure nothing was missed, then announced the day's shoot was complete. The entire crew headed back to the hotel to rest.
---
April 29, in Los Angeles, a shocking nationwide event occurred.
At 3:15 PM local time, the LA County court declared all four white police officers innocent in the widely publicized case where they violently beat Rodney King, a Black man.
This verdict sparked massive protests outside the courthouse. Soon, many Black citizens took to the streets, engaging in looting and violence, causing widespread clashes.
Step Up's crew had several Black members, who immediately exploded with anger upon hearing the verdict.
Fortunately, Baltimore was three hours ahead of Los Angeles. By the time the news reached the crew, their day's work was mostly done, and they were having dinner, so the filming was not affected that day.
...
Linton called Amy, instructing her to keep watch over the estate, advising everyone inside to avoid going out during this period.
He then joined Danny to call four security staff together and instructed them to be on high alert and authorized to use heavy weapons if necessary to ensure the estate's safety, with any issues to be reported to Danny promptly.
He also called his aunt to check in and warned her of the event's seriousness, as the unrest might spread to San Francisco, urging them to stay safe.
Next, Linton called Cameron and Winona, learning they were both out of town. He felt somewhat reassured but reminded them to stay vigilant.
As for Madonna, well, he decided to call her as well, since she was his prized "training furnace."
...
That evening, the core production staff gathered in Linton's room to discuss strategies while the TV aired related news.
More and more Black people hit the streets, looting and even setting fires. Flickers of fire began appearing sporadically across Los Angeles.
Linton actually knew the Los Angeles riots in late April would escalate and eventually become a historic event that shocked the world.
But he hadn't remembered the exact date, which was why he was pushing to finish Los Angeles filming before April 25.
Had the crew still been in Los Angeles, production would have halted for a long time, causing massive losses. The film might have even missed its August release.
...
It was already late at night. Everyone understood the severity of the LA situation would inevitably impact the crew. They agreed on the following measures:
1. The crew would not accept any interviews, and no one was to express any opinions about the Rodney King case to the media.
2. Due to the severity of the unrest and the spread of Black discontent nationwide, filming in the eastern part of the city was too risky. They declared a two-day rest period, and no one was allowed to leave the hotel without permission.
3. To adjust the schedule, they moved the beautiful seaside dance scene at the port ahead. The production would quickly coordinate with the port authorities and arrange for helicopters to come earlier, ideally within two days.
They also notified the hotel to raise food standards during the rest days but forbade alcohol and any alcoholic beverages.
Finally, Linton warned everyone that the Los Angeles riots could erupt into severe violent clashes and urged them to notify family and friends to stay safe.
...
After the meeting, Linton initially wanted Robert to inform the crew of these decisions quickly. However, because several Black members were on the crew and he doubted the message would be properly conveyed by the production team alone, he opted to arrange a large meeting room at the hotel to gather everyone.
In the hotel's conference room, because of the Rodney King case effect, no one had gone to bed yet. Linton and Robert sat at the podium. Nearly 200 people filled the room, densely packed.
Robert briefly reported on the Rodney King case and the escalating LA conflicts, then announced the crew's three measures.
Unsurprisingly, reactions varied. Most white crew members had little response and mostly agreed with the decisions.
But the Black members reacted strongly, demanding the crew release a statement supporting Rodney King. Some also wanted to join local protests.
Robert repeatedly spoke into the microphone, but the noise continued. Linton took the mic and released his Mind Shock ability.
Everyone felt a cold shiver, as if a huge weight pressed down on their heads. They felt like unarmed individuals facing a fierce tiger alone -- shaking all over but no one dared to speak.
After about five seconds, Linton withdrew the ability and said solemnly:
"I'm not here to debate or negotiate. This is an announcement of the crew's decision.
We are in a distant, unfamiliar city and must ensure everyone's safety. Based on that, we will try to maintain normal filming. This must be followed.
If you can't accept this, please voluntarily leave the crew peacefully. I won't force anyone. But if anyone pretends to comply while undermining us, I'm sorry -- we will fire you immediately and blacklist you within the industry."
His eyes swept the room like lightning. Terrified by the Mind Shock, no one dared even to meet his gaze. At a glance, they looked like startled rabbits lowering their heads, unwilling to oppose. They all expressed agreement, and the meeting ended smoothly.
...
Halle Berry whispered excitedly at the back, "Here we go again, this cold-blooded tiger is amazing. Whenever he gets mad, it feels like the sky is falling. The last time with Tyra was just like this. I love this side of him. Oh no, I'm already turned on."
...
After the meeting, Naomi followed Linton to his room and anxiously asked, "This won't affect our movie's release schedule, right?"
"Don't worry. We're in Baltimore, far from LA. There will be some impact for a few days, but we'll speed up later. No problem with the release."
"I'm a bit scared. Can I stay with you tonight?"
Just then, the doorbell rang. When Linton opened, Halle rushed in, "Honey, you look so handsome today. I just can't resist." Then she passionately kissed him.
"Uh, there's someone else here," Naomi said disapprovingly.
"No problem, three's company. I don't mind," Halle said boldly.
"It's dangerous outside. For your safety, why don't we play poker at my place tonight?" Linton said happily, holding the two pearls -- one white, one black -- in his arms.
Soon, the room filled with singing...
...
Soon, the LA street conflicts grew ever fiercer. On the 30th, nearly all national TV stations covered the situation, showing streets ablaze with large fires.
The Republican Party's early-year victory in the Gulf War quickly vanished as the death toll in LA riots exceeded that of the battlefield.
At noon, TV showed intense gunfights on rooftops in LA's Koreatown, with men wearing headscarves and carrying rifles fighting the rioting crowds outside.
Reports from the hotel indicated, unsurprisingly, that Baltimore's east and harbor areas also saw unrest. Black residents protested on the streets, with some looting and destruction. Fortunately, police responded promptly, preventing severe consequences.
The hotel warned the crew to avoid going out to prevent unnecessary danger.
"Latest news: Mayor Tom Bradley declared a curfew in Los Angeles."
That night, President Bush delivered a televised speech condemning the "lawlessness" and firmly opposing the LA riots.
"Latest update: At 1 AM today, the California governor ordered power cuts to riot areas and formally requested federal assistance.
Over fourteen thousand National Guard soldiers, members from the Seventh Infantry Division, the First Marine Division, about 1,700 riot police, and FBI agents entered riot zones. The situation was under preliminary control."
News anchors reported, while TV showed vast city blocks reduced to smoking ruins.
By the third day, May 1, the military crackdown finally brought the LA situation under control.
Good news came from the location team: the port agreed to allow filming ahead of schedule (mainly because the port was far from the riot areas). Helicopter arrangements were also secured, though at a hefty price -- the crew paid an extra $20,000.
*****
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