KENT — Sunday, May 4, was the 55th anniversary of the Kent State University shootings.
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Stephen Adams is a survivor of the shooting and he shared his story with News Center 7 at 11.
Adams says that May 4th can be a hard day. He says it all could have been avoided.
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“The government had its agenda, and we young people were just their tools,” Adams said.
Among the tensions of the Vietnam War, Adams and his friends were feeling angry, confused and disappointed.
“General feeling among young people was guys, males particularly, you didn’t want to be the last person to die in a useless war,” Adams said.
Adams was in his senior year at the time, studying business. Protests were springing up at college campuses across the country.
“Outsiders that had come into Kent, Ohio, with the idea that they were going to drum up some additional protests,” Adams said.
A group started several bonfires in the street near the bars. The fires were put out by police, who then closed the bars, resulting in a larger upset crowd.
The next Saturday, the protests began.
Adams says someone threw a road flare into a nearby building, causing a fire. According to Kent State, the building completely burned down. By Sunday, the National Guard was called in.
“Freaky, a freaky time as I remember it,” Adams said.
Students planned a peaceful protest for Monday, but the school had banned it. Photos from that day show students at the top of Blanket Hill.
The National Guard was patrolling the area, telling students they needed to return to their dorms, but the protest continued.
The National Guard shot tear gas into the crowd to force them to leave. As the students started retreating, the National Guard advanced.
“They were running away, okay, when the National Guard opened fire,” Adams said.
A total of 13 students were shot that day. Four of them died.
Adams says that the State Highway Patrolmen stopped the protest.
“Got their batons in the right hand, and they’re striking their left hand, marching towards the students. And guess what happened? Everybody went home,” Adams said.
Adams says, after 55 years, he hopes we have learned from that day. He finds comfort in the fact that we, as a country, still have the freedom to protest peacefully.
For more information on the Kent State shootings, Kent State University has a full account available on their website.
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