By Any Means Necessary

Following a disturbance in downtown Kent on Friday, May 1, 1970, the mayor asked that the Ohio National Guard remain on standby. On Saturday evening, the Guard accompanied firefighters who put out a fire in the ROTC building. Sunday morning, Governor Rhodes and public officials vowed to use any means necessary to maintain order, and 850 guardsmen occupied the campus. Sunday afternoon, sightseers took souvenir photos of the guardsmen. That evening, guardsmen used tear gas and bayonets to disperse students staging a sit-in. The next day, May 4, the Guard prepared to disperse a rally on the Commons, and officers ordered troops to load their M1 rifles.

Kent, Ohio · United States