During the 1970s, a multitude of universities were witnesses to student-led protests of the Vietnam War. One of the more well-known or remembered protests in Ohio, a protest which ended in tragedy, was the Kent State riot, better known as the Kent State Shooting. The violent event occurred after the National Guard was called to Kent, Ohio after violent civil unrest in response to President Nixon’s April 31st speech. The televised speech announced Nixon’s orders for U.S. troops to invade Cambodia with the goal of destroying North Vietnamese encampments. After announcing his plans, Nixon then went on to verbally attack protesters opposing the Vietnam War, particularly college students. The following day, May 1st, college students from universities around the U.S. voiced their outrage and disagreement by protesting and many protests became unruly and aggravated.
The student riot in Kent was just one example of student-organized protests becoming violent. By Friday evening, the day after Nixon’s speech, groups of students began breaking windows in downtown Kent. In response to the radical students’ actions, Governor James Rhodes deployed the Ohio National Guard to Kent. The deployment of the Guard only increased tensions and student violence. The following day, Saturday, May 2nd, a fire was started in the campus Army Reserves Officers Training Corps (ROTC) building. When firefighters arrived, students boo-ed and shouted. Some students even cut the hoses to prevent the fire from being extinguished. Heavy police protection was called but the building ultimately burned to the ground. Students did not stop there, however, and the following day 69 students were arrested for challenging the 5 p.m. curfew. The existing tension between the students and the Guard reached its climax on Monday, May 4th, after three days of illegal and unruly behavior. The noon rally on the Commons, an open and grassy area on Kent’s campus, started with the non-violent ringing of the Victory Bell, however, the rally soon turned violent when the Guard members arrived and ordered the students to disperse. After requesting for the students to clear the area, the National Guard fired canisters of tear gas in an attempt to clear the crowd. Many students scattered, running downhill towards the buildings or along the parking lot. At this point some of the students became violent; a few students began throwing the tear gas canisters back toward the Guard and students along the parking lot began throwing rocks. Groups of students now stood around watching, as the National Guard began marching back up the hill. After the group of students in the parking lot began cheering, the Guard suddenly turned and opened fire.
Many students ducked, others remained standing in shock, believing the guns were pointed at the sky. Within 13 second approximately 67 rounds were discharged. When the firing stopped four students were dead: Allison Krause (19), Sandra Lee Scheuer (20), Jeffrey Glenn Miller (20), and William K. Schroeder (19). The number of injured students is reported as six and nine, but Robinson Memorial Hospital reported treating six students, including one student, Dean Kahler, who was paralyzed after being shot in the spine. Dean Kahler would later speak at the Memorial Service, held exactly a year after the shooting, urging students to “remember last May forever”. He also spoke about the importance of non-violence.
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| Photograph of Mary Ann Vecchio, 14-year-old runaway, kneeling over the body of Jeffrey Miller, circa 1970, John Filo. Image courtesy of World History Project. |
I did not know that the students had rioted that much and caused that much disarray. WHile they did do a lot of damage and caused a panic, the response they got was too much. There needed to be more steps taken to calm the students down. It can be seen in many protest cases in the 20th century that the state governments are able to handle crowds in a more effective and safe manner. There was definitely a way that the soldiers could have resolved the situation in a peaceful manner. I know that this event caused the protesters and those around the United States to hate the government even more.
ReplyDeleteThe Kent State Shooting fits well with the topic of "Gaudium et Spes". You cannot stop violence with more violence, or it will never end. This protest also fits in with the Stonewall Riots because while the event that took place at Stonewall was a raid on the members of the LGBTQ community, there was also violence that took place. For six days after the raid that took place there was violence that entire time. Both of our topics have a ton of violence that takes place that goes against what Gaudium is trying to tell us about protesting.
ReplyDeleteI must compliment your writing style and it should be acknowledged that this blog post flows excellency, not just as a list of events, rather a story being told. The Kent State Protests call into question a gray area between riot and peaceful demonstrations and protests, as do many of other poster's examples, including my own blogs on the WTO Protests and Hough Riots. When we look at these series of events, such as individual instances of protest or civil disobedience, that lump into one big event such as the Kent State Protests it can be hard to determine whether the overall event is in accordance with what the papal document Gaudium et Spes allows and espouses for. Some aspects of a protest may be peaceful, such as picketing, may be allowed, whereas, say, lighting a building on fire and preventing the extinguishment of said fire, would not be allowed.
ReplyDeleteThe Kent State protests are a staple in understanding U.S. history as well as being a part of Ohio history. Having grown up in Ohio, the Kent State shooting that happened as a result of the protesting that was occurring against the war in Vietnam has become something of unfortunate infamy. It is truly sad to see such brute force being used against a college student and I think this article helps to encapsulate the rising tension in America relating to the war effort during this time. Before in school, I had a general understanding of what occurred that day, but thanks to your post, I now have a better grasp of the event. This event is the tragic reality of what happens when tensions grow to an insurmountable level that ends in truly saddening results, in this case the deaths of four college students.
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