UNM Strike Documentary, Part I

As the Colonel said, the National Guard in this particular situation works under the direction of the State Police on orders of the Governor. We have a mission that is signed. It is up to us to decide how many troopers is necessary to carry out the mission of the sign, which in this case was complete 360-degree parameter security of a student union building. This is what we did. There was a State Police cap mess and outside, coordinated with the National Guard. The use of bayonets is standard operating procedure in the guard units in the state of New Mexico. Right around, back this way, the Milky Drift. May 1970, six days of protest at the University of New Mexico, Part 2, to maltruise Friday

in the aftermath, a special presentation of KUNM News. As the scene opens on Friday, May 8, the students are in control of the student union building on the UNM campus. The University Administration has not yet taken steps to evict the 500 students who are occupying their building. Inside the building, volunteer strikers have taken over operation of it, its food service, and its maintenance. At 4 a.m., a second meeting of the New Mexico Union Board was held. The meeting had been called by student board member David Rigsby. Rigsby hoped to reverse the board's earlier decision on the occupation of the student union

building. However, the board again lacked a proper quorum since no administrative members were present. But the students voted anyway to accept the proposal which would allow the sub to remain open 24 hours a day with student control of its facilities. While this meeting was in progress, the strikers were busy mopping and cleaning the floors. Ratsness were removed from the kitchen area, and breakfast was being prepared by volunteers. An atmosphere of camaraderie and cooperation created the feeling of a kind of little woodstock. Everyone felt for the first time that they were doing something together, and that was something significant. The tensions of the previous day were greatly relaxed as people became involved in various tasks which needed to be done. A penny which rolled from someone's pocket and came to a stop on its edge in front of the union entrance was designated a monument. A sign was erected in front of it in honor of the strikers. It read, which way will this penny fall, right or left?

The jovial atmosphere fled rapidly at 7 a.m. when members of the university administration entered the building and distributed a memograph statement which read, In order to protect the union and property therein contained, and to restore it to its orderly use, the regents have directed that this building be closed at 8.30 a.m. today, and remain closed until further orders. All persons in this building, except authorized staff, are requested to leave at once and not to return until such time as it is reopened by the regents order. Your failure to comply with this request will be a violation of the law. The document was signed by university president Farrell Hetty. The order caused a flurry of angry comment from students in the building. They felt the building was rightfully theirs, and they were not about to give it up easily. For the first time, the student union building was in the hands of the students of the University of New Mexico, and they had already begun to make some creative changes in its operation.

Following the order, a meeting was held in the ballroom to decide how to confront police if they attempted to evict anyone from the building. Various suggestions were made, but all advocated some form of nonviolent resistance. Even more radical members in the meeting realized that the student body was not ready for a violent confrontation. It was suggested that when the police arrived, the striker should leave the building, and occupy another building on the campus, forcing the authorities to obtain another restraining order. Someone else suggested that those in the sub should submit to peaceful arrest. There was considerable disagreement over that point. Some felt that arrest should be avoided at all costs since it would prove nothing. Nothing conclusive was decided, and the meeting broke up after a plea was made for as many students as possible to remain in the building when the police finally came. It was generally agreed that there was safety in large numbers. If 600 students could be present when the police came, there would be little the authorities

could do. When it was apparent that the strikers were not going to leave the student union building, the university administration slowly began to move to action. At 9 a.m., Attorney Robert Tykert, representing the University of New Mexico, attempted to get District Court Judge Lara Zolo to sign a temporary restraining order, which had been requested by the regents. Judge Lara Zolo refused to sign it, however, because a hearing on the matter had been requested for 10.30 a.m. that morning. Meanwhile, State Police Chief Martin V. Heel asked Governor Cargo to put the National Guard on alert. But Cargo did more than that. He placed command of the National Guard units in V. Heel's hands since he was leaving that morning on a fishing trip. At 10 a.m., President Heady came to the ballroom of the sub and spoke to the students. This is what he said. I'm here at the request for good many people I gather. I'm here to go over with you on the correct situation as with regard to the union and to

I guess renew a request to you. I assume that all of you are informed about the regents' order that the union should be closed as of 8 a.m. this morning and that people who have not complied with this request may be in violation of law. In addition to that, as I think you all know, a temporary restraining order has been issued by the District Court, which imposes an obligation on all those to whom it applies to leave the

premises here or to be subjected to arrest by the law authorities who have been directed by the court to enforce this temporary restraining order, those law officers, the campus security police, the New Mexico State Police and the Albuquerque City Police. I would like to urge all of you to leave the union promptly at this time before the now at which copies of the temporary restraining order are delivered to you. We would then be at the point at which we ought to be at 7 o'clock this morning when those

who were here were asked to leave. If that happens, I will consult with the regents about a subsequent order to the one which was read to you this morning and I will hope that we could open the union again soon. I think at all frankness that I would have to say that the earliest I would contemplate would be tomorrow morning. I think the only other thing I have to say now is that I think each one who is here at this

point is clearly not responding to the regents order. At turn 30 a rally was held in the ballroom to prepare for the peace march to the federal building. A meeting was moved to the mall however when a rumor circulated that the National Guard was coming to the union. The peace march to the federal building began with approximately 400 students and faculty marching down central avenue toward downtown Albuquerque. Their numbers grew as towns people joined in the march for peace.

The march proceeded to the corner of central in Edith Boulevard where Albuquerque High School is located. About 200 high school students were waiting. At first it was thought they were going to join in the march but instead they entered the intersection to block the path of the marchers. Then they rushed at the marchers throwing rocks. Several marchers were injured among them Chuck Andrews of the New Mexico Lobo who was seriously injured in the eye when he was struck with a rock. Andrews later had this to say about the incident. As we approached Albuquerque High we noticed a few people wandering around the school yard and as the marchers got within about two blocks I'd say right around Edith. All of a sudden there was a mass of people pointing out into central and they filled up the entire street quite a bit deep. I'd say there's at least 200 people, maybe 250 or 300. previous to this time the marchers said you had heard expressed by many people the thought

that the Albuquerque High students would join us in the march. I think majority of the people marching felt that would happen and they were really surprised to when they finally got the idea that this crowd that was facing them was antagonistic. I tried to talk to a few of them and in my capacity as a Lobo reporter and tried to determine if this was a spontaneous demonstration if it had been egg-donned by some of the Albuquerque High teachers and I personally received a response that it was all the students. I asked some of them who got them to do this and they said the students it was the students idea. However some other Lobo reporters Michael Blake in particular had some of the people admit to him that some teachers had been suggesting this sort of thing earlier in the day. The crowd began to move a little bit and I came to the realization that I was being

rather foolish to be standing there with a long hair talking to these kids and about 10 seconds after I split towards the marchers crowd the Albuquerque High crowd let out a loud yell and charge towards the marchers most of them at a run and just before this happened the student marshals were trying to get the crowd to move southward onto Edith to reroute them around the Albuquerque High people and they were attempting to do this but they couldn't move fast enough and the Albuquerque High crowd did catch up with them and there was some fighting in the front lines I didn't notice any UNM marchers doing any fighting except in self defense perhaps but most of the fighting was blocked by a line of student marshals they had a lot of guts they just linked arms and placed themselves in a line between the two crowds and I saw them take quite a few kicks and blows from Albuquerque

High students but they did seem to pretty much prevent the contact between the two groups I was standing in a parking lot sort of behind a card observing this when I heard some noises off to the right I heard some rocks hitting the pavement and just as I looked up to see what direction they were coming from about one fifth of a second before it happened I noticed a rock flying through the air towards me and I just had a brief enough look at it to tell that from the trajectory that had been thrown from quite a ways away and it obviously came from the direction of the Albuquerque High crowd from the rear of the crowd and the rock hit me squarely in the right eye I was wearing sunglasses at the time which probably prevented worse injury than I received but I just kind of saw a big flash and almost blacked out I went down on one knee and before I could even fall to the pavement somebody

grabbed me by the arm and a few seconds later someone else grabbed me I believe it was student marshals and they hold me over to a makeshift ambulance which was just a few feet away and they rushed me to Presbyterian Hospital and in the ambulance there was a volunteer medic who told me his name was Chuck and that he was a medic from Sandia Base I don't know whether he this was during the day so I don't know if it was his day off or if he had gone a walk to participate or what but I was really thankful that he was there and I was also very thankful for the student marshals who grabbed me I hated to lay on that pavement there in the middle of those two crowds and not knowing what was going on but I was rushed right away to Presbyterian Hospital and very shortly it was under the care of a doctor of the injured eye wound up losing about 40 or 50 percent vision in that eye and I've

been advised so far legally that there's nothing I can do about it. While student medics took care of the injured strike marshals positioned themselves between the marchers in high school students until the police were able to intervene KUNM was at the scene and interviewed several people about the incident among those was Mitch lead us one of the marchers. We're going to join in the college group get behind us and watch on to the federal building but this is not what it happened seems like a number of the teachers at the school have

been distributed in these red white and blue on bands and had persuaded the high school students that what we were doing were anti-American obviously against the president against the city of Albuquerque give them those even what they fed in their heads but the whole thing was red white and blue stickers on your arm red white and blue banners red white and blue signs and and it was just really incredible I think it came to a shock as well as to the college students because we got the impression last night that the high schools were behind us because actually these are the people that we are fighting for anti-war and not where you're going to get it much did you see anyone get hurt well just there were a lot of fist fights in one area I don't know if anybody got hurt I don't think anybody has been physically assaulted yet I've had a clubs in the ship that the cops are walking around with just incredible I think it's inevitable of this keeps up

for even 10 more minutes if someone's going to get his head busted who's probably believe it was I don't know I couldn't even give an educated guess but there's a lot of teachers from the high school that are walking around with with large bands of ribbon that are red white and blue and and you see the same ribbon on the arms of the high school so it's quite obvious I asked a couple of the students why are they against this and they say because the teachers told them and I think if anybody gets hurt the blood rested in the hands of the teachers in his school Andy Garmazi also spoke with Albuquerque High School Coach Satterfield about his reactions to the violence the police finally managed to position themselves between the marchers and the rock throwing

high school students the march was then re-rooted so that further skirmishing between the marchers and the high school students would be avoided KUNM Newsman Steve Kortemire filed this telephone report this is Steve Kortemire for KUNM and it is reporting from outside the Albuquerque Public Library I sure time to go the protest march uh ground to a halt at the corner of Edith and Central they were met there by originally 150 to 200 high school students from Albuquerque High School who blocked the path uh then the marchers stage stay sit down in the intersection at Edith and central successfully blocked traffic in all directions for about 15 minutes. The police arrived and attempted to disperse the high school crowd at which time this was met by rock throwing on the part of the high school students.

A short time later this broke out into a general medley with two reported injuries so far. The strikers from the University of New Mexico turned south in order to get around the blockade of high school students went south on either one block and then proceeded west. The high school students noticing this then went down to Arnold and proceeded one block west and the altercation is presently being continued down in that vicinity about six cars full of from three to four police money equipped with protective face masks and building clubs attempted to disperse the crowd and maintain order. This is as far as it goes at this time we are going to be moving down now. Oh I see the strikers coming back on. There's a group of students coming back on the central from the vicinity of the corner of Arnold and Gold. These people appear to be high school students filing back towards Albuquerque High School. Albuquerque High School has vacated and mass.

It should be pointed out that animosity toward the strikers was not limited to rock throwing high school students. Local businessmen in the vicinity of the riot were openly hostile to marchers who attempted to talk to them about the reasons for the student's strike. Court of Maya related this account of his attempt to find a telephone in the midst of all the trouble. I attempted twice earlier to phone a story in once at the gas station, Conaco, our Samrock station, at this off-less corner of Arnold and Central. I was informed by the manager that I was not welcome on his premises. I identified myself as a reporter. He made reference to me as a dirty, long-haired hippie and threatened my life with a baseball bat. I vacated and went over to the corner closed station at the northeast corner. Got permission to use the phone but in getting prepared to report my story I was cut off by the manager there. Now back to any pharmacy. The march continued past the federal building where it was originally planned to stage a rally but it was felt that to stop there might provoke further violence.

Instead the march ended at Robinson Park a few blocks away. A rally was held and 600 marchers heard speeches from both university and community people. Many of those in attendance were townspeople who had joined the march as it moved along the city's main street. Among them was an elderly gentleman who wore a large sign which stated smash imperialism. The rally broke up earlier than planned so that the marchers could avoid meeting the high school students as they left school for the day. The marchers were also advised by police officials that police protection for the march could not be provided indefinitely. At 2 p.m. as the first groups of marchers from the park arrived on campus they found the strikers still in control of the student union building. The district court hearings on the temporary restraining order were still in session so no attempts had been made to evict anyone. Meanwhile an ad hoc group of students met with President Farrell Heady in his office where he agreed to a proposal which would leave the

strikers in charge of the student union building until Monday. Heady was quick to point out however that he would have to consult with the regents before any firm decision could be reached. KUNM Newsman Tom Kavanaugh later spoke with the students who were at the meeting. Tom Kavanaugh KUNM News in the student union building. The four students who went to speak to Dr. Farrell Heady, President of the University, have returned with the following conditions or whatever you want to call them. First of all the restraining order will be held in a balance until everything discussed at the meeting is discussed with the students which is going on right now. The basic proposition is that for one hour approximately students leaving the union and the union board inspects the building. If they find it is okay with that.

If the union is clean then we get back in or the students get back in on a 24 hour basis complete control of the union. Now this is on several basis. First of all the union board has to agree to the students running the union. If they agree then Heady will take it to the regents. If the regents agree then it is the students. This is what was agreed to in the meeting. What is going on now as the marchers from downtown file into the union? Was a debate concerning whether to leave the union or not? Questions were brought up as to such things as if we leave we won't get back in. Is there much for your time in the part of students that if they do we do even for an hour then that they will be not be denied?

There is a lot of people who are voicing that opinion. There is an equal number who are less vociferous who are saying the union is a side issue. The union is side tracking the major portion of the issues now. So we've made our point with the union. Let's give in a little. Is the rest of these students when I left the meeting as the marchers were approaching we're saying no. This is Tom Kavneke on MNews. An emergency session of the New Mexico union board was called. At 3pm the board met and endorsed the tentative proposal which provided for a three hour period during which the strikers would vacate the building to allow the union board to inspect the premises. Following the inspection the building would be returned to the students under their direction and control. Following the union board meeting KUNM spoke to ASUNM President Eric Nelson about the board's decision.

The following statement has just been issued by the union board. The statement I'm going to read has been passed unanimously in the second emergency meeting of the union board. Whereas standards of claim is within the union are presently being met. And where students are administering services efficiently within the new Mexico union. It is therefore ordered that the students be allowed to continue to administer the union until the strike is settled. While the union board was considering the proposal, President Hetty attempted to contact the regents about it. But he was unable to contact enough of them to make a decision. Finally after hours and hours of testimony and delay the hearings on the temporary restraining order came to an end at 4.30 in the afternoon. A motion to dismiss the restraining order was denied by Judge Larrizolo who issued the order to state and local police for enforcement.

At this point events became very confused since no one had any idea of all of the events which had taken place with regard to the student union building. The students had no idea of how much time they had to evacuate the building and most were under the impression that they were to be permitted to keep the union open, subject to the agreement with Hetty concerning inspection. Many thought the injunction was only a gesture and did not believe it would ever be served. Hetty said later, however, that he had emphasized that once the order was issued, enforcement was not in the hands of UNM officials. In the midst of the general confusion a meeting took place between Hetty and Regents Ortega and Wolf in Hetty's office. It was decided that the Regents would have to have control of the sub. The compromise proposal was rejected, but Hetty called the state police and requested that they meet with him before taking any action. Meanwhile copies of the restraining order were being circulated in the union. Several legal aid attorneys were on hand to explain the ramifications of the order.

While students were meeting in small groups to discuss how they would confront the police when they arrived, members of the faculty positioned themselves around the building hoping to act as a buffer against the police. At 5.30pm the first city and state police units arrived on the campus. Soon 40 state police officers stood at the North entrance of the union building awaiting orders, a state police helicopter circled above the heads of students standing on the mall. President Hetty was still in conference with the Board of Regents in his office. As the first units were arriving a phone call was made to Hetty informing him that the police had arrived. Hetty remained in his office. By this time state and city police were in formation at each of the entrances to the student union building. They were equipped with riot deer, tear gas grenade launchers, and wore helmets with riot plates covering their faces. It should be pointed out that no one from either the state or city police ever met with Hetty prior to making arrests.

As two professors ran back to Hetty's office to request that Hetty come and talk with the police, the first units of the National Guard disembarked in front of the student union building. Inside there was great confusion. Major Hoover Wimberley, chief of state police intelligence, read the court order to the crowd, and gave everyone 20 minutes to clear the building. Faced with the possibility of imminent arrest, the students in the building each made a quick personal decision about remaining or leaving. In a few minutes only 131 of about 400 strikers remained in the building. The arrests scattered to the mall outside. Many of those who were left were still waiting for Hetty to come with word of a compromise regarding the union. Shortly after 6pm the police began making arrests. The students seated themselves inside the north entrance of the union and sang songs as they were passively and peacefully arrested. While this was going on the National Guard units had moved to the east side of the union where they formed a line at the south end of the mall, equipped with fixed banets and gas masks.

Strike marshals instructed the students in the mall to sit down and remain orderly. Their instructions were largely ignored. Our boots are needing a shine boy. But our Coca-Cola is fine boy. We've got to protect all our citizens fair. So we'll send a battalion for everyone there and maybe we'll leave in a couple of years. Because we're the cops of the world boy. We're the cops of the world. And dump the reds and a pile boy. You'd better wipe off that smile boy. Better wipe off that smile. We'll spit through the streets of the cities we rack and we'll find you a leader that you can elect.

Those treaties we signed were a pain in the neck. Because we're the cops of the world boy. We're the cops of the world. As he was meeting with the regions in the quiet of his office, a message was received that President Heady should go to the union immediately. On the mall, the National Guard units began their first forward movements from south to north. They gave no warning as they charged. The students were not disorderly. There was some name calling but nothing more. Shouts of draft dodgers and a few other things could be heard over the noise of the crowd. As the National Guard charged, the crowd withdrew and shocked disbelief. Some, however, did not move fast enough and were bayoneted by the guard as they tried to move. Four of the injured were newsmen.

Although the National Guard bought their own medical units, most of the injured were treated by student medics. Though easily recognizable by their white arm bands, the student medics were denied access to the union, where many of their medical supplies were cached. At the time the bayonettings occurred, Heady and the regents were already inside the student union building. They knew nothing of what was going on outside. Though the arrests were already in progress, Heady made the following statements to the students who remained in the union. After meeting with the Board of Regents, the regents have approved this proposal. That after this building is cleared, and after it has been inspected, the regents will turn over control of the union on a temporary basis until Monday, to the Policy Committee, the Faculty Policy Committee, and the Union Board. Those of you who are willing to accept this proposition are to go out of the building now. Those of you who will not, are going to have to respond to the restraining order and to the law enforcement officials who are here to enforce it. And I have no control over those law enforcement officials who are enforcing the order. Heady's statement was met with cat-calling from those seated on the floor in front of him. No one, however, left the building.

While the arrests were being made inside, out on the mall, evacuation of the bayonet victims began. All 11 injured were taken to the hospital and privately owned vehicles. All but two of the bayonet victims were treated and released. The two who remained, Steve Sullivan and John Dressman, were seriously injured, as major arteries had been punctured. According to Dr. Leonardo Garcia, who assisted the strike medics in providing medical care for the injured, quote, both of them would most certainly have bled to death before reaching a hospital had it not been for the immediate aid rendered to them by strike medics. By this time, the arrests had been completed inside the sub, and the 131 arrested were loaded on, commandeered city buses, and taken downtown. Among those arrested were ex-lobo editor Wayne Cedillo, and the ASUNM President Eric Nelson. Nelson was the last person arrested. Though not subject to arrest under terms of the court order, Nelson chose to go with the other students and thus subjected himself to voluntary arrest.

After the building had been cleared, national guard troops moved inside and prepared to spend the night. KUNM's LA Woodworth filed this report from inside the sub. He said that he hoped there would be, but he did not know this time. He also told us that there would be a press conference at the National Guard Armory at 10 p.m. to give further details to the operation here. At this time, there are guardsmen and police moving freely throughout the inside of the unit. They are occupying all rooms as far as we can see from here. They are occupying the upstairs.

We have a few statements now. This is LA Woodworth for KUNM news. There were some conflicting statements concerning what had actually happened during the stabings outside. All of Albuquerque's news media reported the ban-eddings as ban-eddings. A National Guard medic told a different story, however, when talking with KUNM newsman Ed Scobal. Sir, if you could tell me did you create anyone in your day a different from the units? I personally didn't tell every single one of you a colleague of it. And the report I got was that it was mostly an accident, you know, the way it happened. People got in the way or somebody was trying to help someone else. It didn't get out of the way at the marking from time to time as far as I could. As a result, it was a matter of no willful intent that anyone would stab with a ban-eddings. I heard a little news, accidents for a serious nature, or would you say most superficial wounds? I would say most of them were superficial.

However, one seems to have been relatively serious. One of the reporters, I believe, had his arm injured fairly and fairly. And again, that was a situation where he was trying to help someone else. And, you know, I didn't see it pretty much. I talked to the doctor, the night on guard doctor, who did treat him, and apparently that was of an accident, you know, and that sort of thing. And the doctor didn't see the things that it was terribly serious, but it certainly needed immediate attention. Okay, thank you very much. We're speaking with the medic from the National Guard of the State of New Mexico. A statement carried over UPI from National Guard warrant officer E.G. González said flatly, quote, there were no injuries due to bayonets, unquote. In the meantime, law students were taking statements from persons who witnessed the ban-eddings. About 35 science statements were collected that evening. Crowds of angry students stood around the building in small groups until way past dark. Many wanted to seize the building again by breaking down the doors and flooding inside.

The crowd spent much of its time arguing over that issue. There were pleas from some to do nothing violent lest someone else be hurt or killed. In a final act of frustration, some of the students grabbed tables and chairs from the terrace and barricaded the exits. At 9 p.m., President Heady held a news conference. KUNM Newsman, Steve Van Dresser filed this report. This news conference this evening, Dr. Heady stated that he had no foreknowledge that National Guard troops would be called to the University of New Mexico campus. In fact, only know of their presence after they had arrived. The timing was critical. It meant the regions were meeting with the President at the time of the police and the National Guard arrived and went as flatly as possible, causing the next immediate building. They had not known exactly what time the confrontation would occur.

He also stated that he felt that the emergency taken thus far by the administration have not in any way brought this university closer to a state of normalcy. Yet he expressed, along with Regent Orton, the hope that the University could begin operating normally on Monday. Inside the Union, the National Guard troops had made themselves at home for the night. It was hard to believe that just 24 hours earlier, the building had been filled with the festive sounds of striking students, making plans and talking among themselves about the meaning of what they were doing. Now the building was quiet. The troops stood alone or in small groups, looking tired and bored. KUNM Newsman, Andy Garmesy, spoke briefly with Adjutant General John Jolly, commander of the New Mexico National Guard. What is the next way that the National Guard will be making a roll-weather round near the operation of the police and whatever it got to be in the last minute? I take it that way, you'll be spending the night here.

What about the National Guard themselves? I believe that's the order that they're going to figure out. Would you know, I'd be extended to the state here, we'll be just for tonight or tomorrow's, head up to the state police. What are we going to talk to? Take your weapon. At 10 p.m., the news conference was called at the National Guard Armory with state police chief Colonel V. Heal and General Don, commander of Albuquerque National Guard units. KUNM News was there. V. Heal spoke first. I think this lady live has covered the whole thing that is out of human and plainly as I could, the only thing I can say is that if you have any specific questions, ask me every morning. How many police were involved in the operation and how many are still out there? Let me see. I believe the total, we had between 150 and city police.

Do you know what role is the police make? First and you? Actually, I think you could phrase it that way that they were reinforcing S, all of the court designated with them as a good ass to carry out the sport order. Yes. I think this time we have about 25 or 30 to the best of my knowledge. We'll be responsible for all of these right now. As security and in conjunction with the court order. Yes? I guess. I remember operating yesterday. The National Guard. Yes? I did. Not glad,uluverovir, this was National Guard function. I will just document it once you know. The National Guard, you have to ask General Ed. You have to ask along that.

When asked what purpose the National Guard served, be he'll replied, Our primary interest was a protection of the students and that I think that had we had we not take them in a certain precautions and had the the manpower that we did we've been negligent really in trying to break this thing. When told that Hetty claimed he knew nothing of the National Guard coming to the campus, Veeel said, Well, I like the service that he did, no. He knew prime in there earlier. Yes. And you said they were expected to arrive simultaneously towards the guard and the state police. Yes. So there wasn't a time

when you could have stopped the National Guard from coming out of campus. Well, I've seen a reason why I should have. Veeel's answers to many of the questions put to him by Newsman were guarded. He was clearly on the defensive, but he did accept responsibility for what had happened at the university and even seemed quite satisfied with its outcome. I think the person this may sound good. And... And... And so did I. And the thing is rent. It's true, the rent. Oh my, he doesn't have that. He's treating me right here. You know what I'm saying? He's just far from me. He doesn't have that. If I have to be objective, if I have to be clear of it. If I have to be clear of it, if I have to be clear of it, if I have to be clear of it, if I have to be clear of it,

if I have to be clear of it. Don was next to speak. Asked why the National Guard was equipped with fixed bayonets, Don said. The use of bayonets is standard operating procedure in the guard units in the state of New Mexico. Right or wrong, that is the way the book is written. Don then commented on the injury sustained by the demonstrators during the National Guard's invasion of the university. There were some incidents. These are being investigated through our own channels. At the same time, through our medical section, all of the incidents of the so-called nivings and bayonettings have been checked out, some of which have been very, very highly blown up already of people dead and dying to where two band-aids got them out of the hospital. Asked if the troops could

tell the difference between a demonstrator and a newsman, Don replied. They're people too. And let's face the gentleman. You all look alike. I imagine. I imagine. With cameras and without, no. There were many, many, many students out there night with cameras. They start, you know, by general. This gentleman stood up in front of an approaching National Guard with this camera in his hand and said, I'm a newsman. And they perfectly ignored it. It took them three times. Eighth of an incident I would have killed it. Now, there's no excuse for a newsman who stands up and said, I'm a newsman. Which gentleman was this? No one. You said was lying there. Mr. Norlander. Mr. Norlander. I personally checked the Presbyterian hospital at 930. He was taken initially to BCMC. He had a minor

gas there and a minor gas here. B.M. at BCMC. He was looked at by the medical director. He said, I prefer to go to Presbyterian. Please. I prefer to go to Presbyterian hospital. He was admitted in emergency. The nurse, but two small bandages, and 15 minutes later, he walked out under his own power. I, gentlemen, have talked to the nurses. I've talked to the hospitals. I've been on site personally. And also, there's been a medical officers out of the guard who's done the thing. Mr. Norlander is not heard. Was there a reduction in the patient for administering the doctor? I've been there. You see, he must have been there. I say he had two scratches. Why did he say he had a scratch? Where does this scratch distress just? All I know is what the medical reports say at the hospital. We're medical reports. We're medical reports. We're medical reports. We're medical reports. We're medical reports. Gentlemen, we're not here

to argue. We're here to tell you what why we did, what we did, and we're not here to argue all of this stuff. So please limit your questions to the operation and this type of thing because we can't would be here for three weeks arguing each one of these cases in this room. And that's all we're doing. Sorry. By 11 p.m., everyone had gone home for the night, and all was quiet on the campus. The National Guard continued to occupy the building until Saturday morning. But there were no incidents of any kind. As morning came, the unnatural quiet on the campus continued. A special meeting of the Board of Regents was held in the law library. And Governor Cargo, who had returned from his fishing trip, was there to answer questions. Throughout the weekend, the campus remained deathly quiet. The union was cleaned by university personnel, and the penny which had stood on its edge for a day and a half in front of the

north entrance was removed. The university administration tried its best to bring things back to normal. But in spite of its efforts, things were not normal. Someone took a can of shellac and painted the trails of blood on the mall, which extended from the east entrance of the union to the bell on the northwest side of the mall. The shellac made it impossible for university physical plant workers to remove the evidence of violence. Several solvents were tried, but the bloodstains remained to this day. On Sunday, a meeting of selected faculty and students was held in the union ballroom to decide how to bring the campus back to normal by Monday. The meeting was a long and stormy one. Many students came to the meeting who had not been invited. Many of them had been active in the strike from the beginning. An angry debate broke out which lasted for more than two hours, when these students were not allowed into the meeting. Some of the student delegates walked out of the meeting

when it was clear that observers were not going to be allowed inside. One of these delegates, Jim Turietta, entered the ballroom in the midst of the debate, stark naked, walking a small dog on a silver chain. The campus police and most of the crowd tried to ignore him. After hours of turmoil, a meeting slowly began to come together. Two basic proposals were adopted. Grade and course options were proposed for those students who did not wish to return to classes as usual, and a free university was established to give students an alternative to regular classes. The strike was over. Some students tried to keep the spirit of it rolling on Monday when school resumed as usual, but there was an overwhelming but unuttered feeling that the strike had ended in defeat. ROTC remained on campus. The union was no more in the control of the students than it had been before the strike. The physical plant workers voted in June not to unionize themselves, and the endow Chinat conflict

continued as it does today. The National Guard is currently being sued by the injured students for a total of $4.3 million. The outcome of these suits is still pending. The University of New Mexico was chosen by the President's Commission on Campus Unrest as one of the nation's campuses to be investigated. Early in August, one of the commission's members, Dr. Joe Rhodes, a black man, came to Albuquerque to talk to the principal people involved on both sides of the strike. A news conference was held when he arrived. Rhodes had this to say about the commission's reasons for coming to New Mexico. Well, a lot of reasons. One very basic reason is that I think what happened here in Spain with the National Guard is a serious concern for the commission. That's not well known to the commissioners. There aren't too many instances that seem very

similar to that episode. And the reveal was a certain serious questions about law enforcement. Well, to what extent is there any coordination between the local committee and the National Guard? To what extent is there responsibility for the actions of the National Guard by the State Government? How do you run first to the National Guard? What are the conditions under which one should use lethal threats? One of the central purposes of this commission is to tell the president very bluntly under what circumstances can someone use a lethal weapon on somebody who's engaged in a political protest. See, we're not so concerned about campus unrest. I think that Dave's a question. Campus unrest is very healthy. The country's engaged with the very terrible national policies. Campus unrest is one of the central reasons why these policies have been somewhere changed. Campus unrest is very healthy. It's unhealthy people killed. So my primary concern is to try to find ways

to stop kids and get in shock, stand, kill things that happen to kids. Rhodes left the next day after speaking to many of the injured and watching film footage of the strike. KUNM was on hand at his departure. This is what he had to say about the use of the National Guard at the University of New Mexico. The scene's murder was no question that the National Guard was unneeded and deviant of a provocative function, which really brings in the question the whole judgment of the use of the National Guard of campus disturbances. Everyone I've talked to has indicated the National Guard actions were total, uncomfortable, provoked people, threatened people's lives, threatened citizens, not just students, with actual death, with execution on the spot. Because of their alleged malicious attack on the people in the yard. There's a real basic question of whether the National Guard has any real role to play and pin down some of the sorters.

For the past hour you have been listening to May 1970, six days of protest to the University of New Mexico, part two. This has been a special presentation of KUNM News, written, produced, and narrated by Matt Walsh and Mike Colvin. No, I have not been surprised by the intensity of the protest. I realize that those who were protesting believe that this decision will expand the war, increase American casualties, and increase American involvement. And those who protest want peace. They want to reduce American casualties, and they want our boys brought home. I made the decision, however, for the very reasons that they are protesting. The very reasons that they are protesting

the protest. The protest. The protest.