Campus Unrest...

[Hardpan Curmudgeon SASS #8967]

In 1969 I "graduated" (more like escaped) from Castlemont High School in Oakland.  Arguably one of the worst public high schools in the nation at the time, and not likely to have improved much since.  At any rate, the school had something like 2,000 students.  I was one of maybe a dozen white kids.  It was rough; there were a number of brutal attacks on white kids. The school even made national news for race riots.  Kind of odd, I thought, since it was largely monoethnic.

 

So after "graduation" summer, I was off to San Francisco State College.  Talk about the proverbial jump from the fying pan...  right into demonstrations, riots, mounted police, the infamous SFPD "Tac Squad," tear gas, and front-row seats with the rest of the boys from Kappa Phi Delta - most of whom were on the football team.  Dang, but that was entertaining!

 

The interesting thing about SF State was seeing the events on the evening network news.  Watching the reports it appeared that there were thousands of "students" initially demonstrating peacefully, then degrading into outright riots after "unprovoked attacks" by the police.  

 

Well, I'm here to tell you, it was pretty much "bullshirt."  

 

First off, what I saw was under two hundred "students" demonstrating, with that guess at the high end.  It's amazing what they can do with camera angles!

 

I recall one afternoon's events.  Several of us were comfortably lounging about, enjoying cold cans of  Burgermeister (beer had just been legalized on campus) and watching the show.  A bunch of "hippie students" were loosely "marching" in a large circle, chanting "On Strike!  Shut it down!" in collective protest of a number of things; the war, racial inequality, and more.  Off to one side stood a phalanx of police officers.  In another direction were a patrol of mounted police.  All in all, it was quite colorful and amusing.

 

Then, one of the demonstrators  waved his sign at a horse.  Quite naturally, the horse was startled and reacted.  When the horse jumped back and his rider was focused on controlling his mount, one of the "hippie students" screamed "They're attacking!  The police are attacking!" or something to that effect.  And, almost as if on cue, the crowd began throwing things at the police - mounted and on foot.  And of course, the police naturally reacted.  As they were trained to.  

 

It was on!  

 

After fifty-four years some details are a bit fuzzy, but some are really clear.  Like the tear gas canisters.  Missiles launched at police.  Baton-weilding police weighed down with gear chasing "hippie students," usually not catching the lightly clad, sneakers and sandals shod knotheads.  But when they did, it was kinda gratifying.  What REALLY impressed me was the mounted guys!  Instead of standard "nightstick" batons, they were armed with what I would describe as black-painted, wooden "sabres."  Which they used quite handily.  Just like a slower version of something out of an old cavalry movie.  Kinda tragic, but cool nevertheless.

 

So.  How does this relate to what's happening on campuses today?  Dunno.  Dunno if the crowds of "demonstrators" are as huge as they appear on television or not.  

 

But I will say this:  I would enjoy like Hell seeing a bunch of cops - both mounted and dis-mounted - wearing no-nonsense expressions dispatched to "keep the peace" at a few universities these days! 

 

 

                                            

[Cold Lake Kid, SASS # 51474]

I would be interested in learning how many of the "students" are actually students.

I would also like to see immigration officers in attendance.

[Sedalia Dave]

On a positive note

 

 

Someone started a Go Fund Me to buy the Fraternity members a few beers.  In less than 12 hours over $300,000 has been donated.

 

   

[Three Foot Johnson]

Call out the Ohio National Guard - they have a record of quelling unruly crowds in about fifteen seconds flat.

[Sgt. C.J. Sabre, SASS #46770]

1 hour ago, Cold Lake Kid, SASS # 51474 said:

I would be interested in learning how many of the "students" are actually students.

I would also like to see immigration officers in attendance.

From my reply in the "College students about to be arrested" thread.

 

One happened up at Arizona State University last weekend. About 250 protesters, 72 arrests, but only 15 were students. 

Sound familiar? 

It reminds ME of the antiwar protests on the late 60s and early 70s. The people leading these protests were later found out to be foreign agents. 

So it begs the question, WHO is actually leading these protests? 

ASU story here:

https://www.axios.com/local/phoenix/2024/04/29/palestinian-protests-arizona-state-university-arrests

[Sedalia Dave]

2 minutes ago, Sgt. C.J. Sabre, SASS #46770 said:

From my reply in the "College students about to be arrested" thread.

 

One happened up at Arizona State University last weekend. About 250 protesters, 72 arrests, but only 15 were students. 

Sound familiar? 

It reminds ME of the antiwar protests on the late 60s and early 70s. The people leading these protests were later found out to be foreign agents. 

So it begs the question, WHO is actually leading these protests? 

ASU story here:

https://www.axios.com/local/phoenix/2024/04/29/palestinian-protests-arizona-state-university-arrests

 

Of the UT Austin protesters that have been arrested about 1/2 are not students.

[Cold Lake Kid, SASS # 51474]

Deportation if not citizens and expulsion from the school,  if they are students.

Not sure what kind of charges could be brought against them.

[Hardpan Curmudgeon SASS #8967]

1 hour ago, Sedalia Dave said:

On a positive note

 

 

Someone started a Go Fund Me to buy the Fraternity members a few beers.  In less than 12 hours over $300,000 has been donated.

 

   

 

At one of those "demonstrations" (1969?  '70?) a Kappa Phi Delta brother had his picture in a major magazine (Life or Look or such) tying the American flag to a lamp post after the flagpole had been ripped down by "peaceful demonstrators."

 

It's damned heart-warming to see that spirit is alive today!  

[Ozark Huckleberry]

3 hours ago, Cold Lake Kid, SASS # 51474 said:

Deportation if not citizens and expulsion from the school,  if they are students.

Not sure what kind of charges could be brought against them.

Charges? For starters, if they have in any way threatened Jewish students:

 

18 U.S. Code § 241 - Conspiracy against rights: If two or more persons conspire to injure, oppress, threaten, or intimidate any person in any State, Territory, Commonwealth, Possession, or District in the free exercise or enjoyment of any right or privilege secured to him by the Constitution or laws of the United States, or because of his having so exercised the same

 

Up to 10 years, federal prison.

 

Seems as if there should be a criminal conspiracy connection in there, as well. Especially for the 'protest consultants' who have been found among the 'students'.

[Pat Riot]

Careful what you say, boys. The ears have walls. 

[bgavin]

NYPD stormed the Columbia campus, found proof of "professional agitators"

[Cold Lake Kid, SASS # 51474]

18 hours ago, Ozark Huckleberry said:

Charges? For starters, if they have in any way threatened Jewish students:

 

18 U.S. Code § 241 - Conspiracy against rights: If two or more persons conspire to injure, oppress, threaten, or intimidate any person in any State, Territory, Commonwealth, Possession, or District in the free exercise or enjoyment of any right or privilege secured to him by the Constitution or laws of the United States, or because of his having so exercised the same

 

Up to 10 years, federal prison.

 

Seems as if there should be a criminal conspiracy connection in there, as well. Especially for the 'protest consultants' who have been found among the 'students'.

 

I'm in Canada and our laws can be different, depending on the party you support.

[Sgt. C.J. Sabre, SASS #46770]

1 hour ago, Cold Lake Kid, SASS # 51474 said:

 

I'm in Canada and our laws can be different, depending on the party you support.

In this country our laws are enforced different depending on the party you support.

[watab kid]

i remember the 60s/70s unrest , it was outsiders that instigated and its the same today - we dont need foreign influence here , incarcerate and then deport , but they just walk away , dont they ?   its much like the gun laws that only apply to the law abiding , criminals dont care and they walk , 

 

while those peaceful protestors from jan 6th are in jail , 

[Trailrider #896]

Legitimate students violently threatening or attacking anybody...expulsion and prosecution. Outside agitators who are doing the same...3-7-77! (Montanans, you know what that means!  )

[Hardpan Curmudgeon SASS #8967]

45 minutes ago, Trailrider #896 said:

Legitimate students violently threatening or attacking anybody...expulsion and prosecution. Outside agitators who are doing the same...3-7-77! (Montanans, you know what that means!  )

 

                      

[watab kid]

so ive revisited a couple times now to get the full feel of this thread , like the OP i graduated in dec of 68 and was at university jan 69 , i also saw the campus unrest , thankfully the majority og it centered on the student union building in the center of campus where i was so i got to class without incident , we never saw a police action till they blew up the science building - at night ,, no one hurt , but yes , the agitators were not students but paid outside non-student hippie looking types , some got arrested , 

 

im all for expulsion for those [no refund] that prevent other students from attending class , getting the education they paid for , im all for arrest/incarceration and deporting those that are not students trespassing on campus , 

 

i got deprived of some of my education when kent state happened as they closed the college and forced us to take midterm grades as well as miss the last weeks of classes , o paid for those , i worked at the time and paid my own way whiteout borrowing or any grants and such , they cheated me , all because of some rock , brick and bottle slinging a$$#oles , 

 

yes i got my grades but i had to pay in advance for the classes , i got cheated , i ended up transferring to a university that didnt have that liberal faculty - it has left an immersion that will never go away , unlike those today that borrowed and are getting the tax payers to pay their bill , i worked hard for what i paid for my education , 

 

oh and when the anti VN protestors marched through town - they passed by the factory where i worked , they got a bit back there , didnt like it much either but lucky they didnt push anything against a lot of WWII vets , the police would have had their hands full , 

 

i came back to add - 

i didnt really need to go to the union so they didnt prevent me from what i wanted there - i could drink beer everywhere back then and that was the last place i really wanted to be , 

they did try to prevent my attending class but thanks to a group of like minded classmates they didnt accomplish that ,

 

it was a professor that was absolutely involved in all of it that called for cancellation of classes and proclamations of solidarity for the kent sate rioters who caused the loss of attendance at that time , he cancelled his classes and encouraged joining the bussed trip to kent state for support of the protests , forcing us to take our midterm grades .....thinking we would be appreciative of his benevolence , he was a flaming liberal commie , but protected by tenure , 

 

buthad i wanted a beer in the student union i would not have been admitted into the building when they were protesting ...........seems like they are depriving the rest of us of our rights , 

 

Edited May 4 by watab kid