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Demonstration Blasts Kent State Whitewash

By VVAW

Over 450 militant demonstrators from Ohio, Michigan and Kentucky took into Columbus, Ohio streets in sub-freezing weather to protest the Kent State whitewash and demonstrate against the inauguration of governor-elect James ("The Killer") Rhodes on Jan. 13th. Demonstrators drowned out Rhodes' inaugural address with the chant, "Rhodes, you filthy liar--the people find you guilty!"

The demonstration was planned and carried out by the May 4th Coalition, made up of VVAW/WSO, Revolutionary Union, Revolutionary Student Brigade, National Lawyers Guild, Columbus Tenant's Union staff, and various community groups. The demands of the demonstration directed at Rhodes -- the governor responsible for the shooting of the 4 Kent State students on May 4th, 1970 -- were: Protest the Kent State whitewash: Indict the real criminals! Universal and Unconditional Amnesty for all War Resister! End all Aid to Thieu and Lon Nol -- Implement the Agreements! And End all Attacks on Working Class and other Oppressed People!

The rally began with a VVAW/WSO speaker, who talked about the demand of Universal and Unconditional Amnesty, followed by speakers from the Revolutionary Union and Revolutionary Student Brigade, who linked the demands with the rising anti-imperialist movement in this country today.

After the rally, the march began by utilizing the sidewalk permit to march to the Statehouse but it soon became clear that the militant demonstrators would not be contained on the sidewalks; with the chant, "The People united will Never be Defeated," the demonstrators took to the streets. When the demonstrators arrived at the Statehouse, Rhodes was about one quarter of the way finished with his address. Seeing the crowd of demonstrators, which had grown as people along the streets joined in, Rhodes was visibly shaken. The demonstrators, equaling the number of spectators at the address, then marched directly to the platform and drowned out the remainder of Rhodes' speech.

Following the speech, the demonstrators took over the North steps of the Statehouse. From inside, 100 State troopers charged out; several demonstrators were maced and several policemen hospitalized in the scuffle. At best, the police were only able to clear a narrow corridor through the demonstrators who would not move. The action continued as demonstrators marched to a statue on the Statehouse grounds where a rally there heard from the mother of one of the Attica Brothers; Mike Branch, an anti-imperialist ex-POW; and a speaker from the Puerto Rican Solidarity Committee. All of these speakers spoke about the role of U.S. imperialism, both at home and abroad.

When the rally ended, the demonstrators marched back to the federal courthouse where an effigy of Rhodes was burned. Clearly the people of Ohio remember Kent State and as long as Rhodes remains in office, the people won't let him forget his role as the murderer of the four students.

The demonstration was sparked by the recent continuation of the Kent State whitewash, specifically the acquittal of the 8 National Guardsmen, which many felt was a smokescreen for the real criminal -- Governor Rhodes, the then-Commander of the Ohio National Guard, S. Del Corso, and the system they represent. While the individual guardsmen should have been held responsible for their actions at Kent, the people responsible for the entire event, Rhodes and Del Corso, along with the Nixon and Ford administrations, perpetuated and encouraged the cover-up. The incident was publicized as a tragic error; in reality, it was to serve as an example for the student movement when the government considered it was time to start shooting. As a result of the murders at Kent, the student movement did not die but grew. As one of the banners of the march in Columbus read:" Remember Kent State; It's Right to Rebel."