Well, the Rodney King riots were utter bullcrap. If the cops were racist, they'll have to answer to God for that, but King attacked them and didn't go down with the tazers. I'm not trying to ever justify police brutality, especially if it's racially motivated. But in the spot like that, you are GOING to make sure that guy stays down.

Even if the verdict was bogus (I wasn't politicall aware at the time, so forgive me if I'm ignorant or unopinionated) there was no right for the looting and rioting that happened after it came in. Same goes in France. Protest, by all means, if you think there is injustice, but burning your own neighboorhood doesn't help your cause any.