Kent State students discuss 1970 clash

[struggle4progress]

By Sara Watson Arthurs The Times-Standard

ARCATA -- <snip>

More than 100 students and community members gathered on the HSU Quad Thursday evening to hear Lewis and Russell's story. Russell said he was shot while merely walking across a similar university commons on May 4, 1970.

Three days earlier, on Friday, May 1, students held a burial of the U. S. Constitution to symbolize what they termed its murder by President Richard Nixon, who had just ordered the invasion of Cambodia. The students announced another rally to follow at noon on Monday, May 4.

But tensions escalated over the weekend, beginning with some vandalism on Friday and rumors of outside agitators bent on violence. Saturday, the Army Reserve Officer Training Corps building on campus was set afire. By Sunday, the Ohio National Guard was occupying the campus, though there were conflicting reports of whether a state of emergency had been declared and the National Guard was actually in charge.

"They came in full battle dress in Jeeps with machine guns," Lewis said. <snip>

http://www.times-standard.com/Stories/0,1413,127~2896~2846185,00.html

[BamaLefty]

1. Sad Day

[tuvor]

2. The shootings at Kent State were a catalyst of sorts for Devo

If you're interested.

http://www.burr.kent.edu/story/peters/

[struggle4progress]

5. I think a lot of folks had a similar psychological reaction. eom

[candy]

3. It was mass confusion and chaos and thankfully more weren't killed.

They were anxious times.

[kliljedahl]

4. Of course, "outside agitators"

Damn them, if it weren't for them there would have been no protests.



Keith’s Barbeque Central

[struggle4progress]

6. I think that cliche was first popularized by Southern racists ...

... who wanted to believe their lil lynchlaw towns was peaceable an frindly places until all them votin rights folk came in to stir up trouble ...