Wednesday, May 04, 2005
Thanks 4 Tha Vizual
http://www.uiowa.edu/~policult/assets/VietNam/KentState.jpg
On May 4th, 1970 - 35 years ago today - National Guardsmen opened fire on a crowd of unarmed students at Kent State University. Four students were killed and nine others wounded.
Today marks the 35th anniversary of the Kent State shooting. On May 4th, 1970, US National Guardsmen opened fire on a crowd of unarmed students on the campus of Kent State University in Ohio.
The guardsmen fired off at least 67 shots in roughly 13 seconds. Four students were killed and nine others wounded. To this day, no one has been held accountable. Today, on this 35th anniversary we remember the Kent State shootings.
At the time, President Richard Nixon had just escalated the Vietnam War and launched the invasion of Cambodia. Across the country, college campuses erupted in protest. At Kent State, a large demonstration was held on May 1st on the university grounds with another was planned for May 4th. Students clashed with police and tensions were high throughout the city.
On May 2nd, Kent city Mayor Leroy Satrom declared a state of emergency and, later that afternoon, asked Ohio Governor James Rhodes to send the National Guard to the university. That evening, students held a large demonstration and the campus ROTC building was set on fire.
The National Guard entered the campus for the first time and set up camp directly on the university grounds. They used tear gas to disperse the crowd and many arrests were made. By Sunday, May 3rd, Kent State campus was occupied by nearly 1,000 (one thousand) National Guardsmen. Governor Rhodes held a press conference that day which many say served only to provoke and increase the existing tension.
The next day, on May 4th, a protest was scheduled to be held at noon on the university commons. An estimated three thousand people gathered for the rally. The National Guard ordered the crowd to disperse and began to fire tear gas. Students responded by throwing rocks and chanting "Pigs off campus." In an attempt to disperse the crowd, a group of seventy National Guard troops advanced on the protesters with fixed bayonets and with their weapons locked and loaded. The guardsmen soon found themselves trapped on an athletic practice field which was fenced on three sides. What happened next left an indelible mark on the history of this country.
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