May 4th Commemoration : Cleveland IMC (((i)))

On Thursday May 4, there was an annual commemoration of the May 4th shootings at Kent State University where four students were shot and killed and nine were wounded during a series of protests against the ongoing war in Vietnam and specifically the US invasion of Cambodia. The May 4th task force sponsored the event which took place on the University campus. The crowd was sparse. Even though the whole university cancelled classes from noon until 2pm, hardly anyone showed up.

May 4th, then and NOW--- "We're not here for May 4, 1970. This is May 4, 2006. May 4th has nothing to do with us. I'm not marching for the four white students who died. My concern is for each and every one of you. They don't want us here today. They don't care about us. They told us not to march today. " Those were the words of one of the members of the Black United Students, a student group on Kent campus. During the commemoration, a band of black students came through, marching with signs about unity, solidarity, and justice. They marched up past the commemoration on the sidewalk and once past, continued their chanting and march. I joined up with them and was able to talk to Dr. Dorsey, a professor of Pan African studies at Kent who was quietly and purposefully following the student march. "When black people have issues, they are silenced", he said. "When white people march, they are exercising their democratic rights. When black people march, they are considered a disruption. Nothing has changed at Kent State."

After some questions, I was able to find out the reason for the march. A few black and white students got into a brawl over the weekend in town. The black students were arrested but later released of all charges. Despite their declared innocence by the law, the school still expelled them, citing they are a threat to the safety and security of the students. BUS is supporting these students and called the spontaneous march in response to the administrations' actions. They ended up outside of the building where the president of the school has her office. More people spoke:

"This is 2006, we are still being brought down. Wake up my people! What are you gonna do? I'm tired of being ran over, ignored, and walked over. Do you hear me?"

"These people don't care that you are out here. You people are gonna go home, go out and party. Keep this fire going. We are a family here. We have a responsibility to each other. It our time, your time. "

The speakers were emotionally charged. Discrimination and racism is still going on today and the backs of those it is falling upon are breaking. Its a hard load to bare.

After we were outside of the administration building for close to an hour, they sent word out that they would arrange a meeting with BUS representatives at 9pm that night on campus. The crowd dispersed and we imc'stas went back to the May 4th rally which was just ending.

The march was about to begin. We strapped on our bucket drums and hit the streets. There was a good number of people who marched. The crowd was a mix of anarchists, communists, socialists, world can't wait people, old hippies, Kent residents, and students. We ended downtown. The was an open mic set up and many people spoke. After that little rally was over and everyone was leaving, a small group of us marched back to campus with our signs and drums, making a ruckus and having some fun.

I think one of the reasons there was such a low turn-out to the May 4th commemoration is because the event is outdated and somewhat stale and boring. Yes, it was a tragedy that those students got shot and killed but lets look at the bigger picture here. Lets look at the problem of police brutality in this country and a population who favors politicians who are "tough on crime", labeling anyone who voices dissent as criminal. Those are the issues they faced back then and we are still facing those issues today.
I'm happy they commemorate what happened on May 4th every year. I think its a good idea. But to spend over an hour recalling the past and those who died makes no sense to me.
May 4th then and now. Now is what we are fighting for.

Students protest KSU expulsion for assault arrest
By Delano R. Massey
Beacon Journal staff writer

KENT - Flanked by members of the Nation of Islam, more than 150 Kent State University students held a peaceful protest Thursday afternoon.

Led by Black United Students and the NAACP, they marched in support of Malik L. Griffin, a student expelled after a Judicial Affairs conduct hearing last week.

Kent police say Griffin intentionally struck Jason S. Galt, who was walking in a crosswalk at East Main Street and Midway Drive about 1 a.m. April 15.

After striking Galt, police said, Griffin fled.

The 20-year-old computer information systems junior was arrested at his home and charged with felonious assault.

Griffin had a preliminary hearing in Kent Municipal Court on April 21. According to Portage County Court records, the case was dismissed for further review -- an action that typically occurs when a case is to be presented to a grand jury.

A week after the court hearing, he was expelled in a Judicial Affairs conduct hearing -- a decision he is appealing.

Black United Students President Sasha Parker terms the Judicial Affairs ruling ``a mockery of due process.''

``He went to court, the charges were dismissed for review,'' she said. ``How can you punish him?''

Parker likened Griffin's situation to that of Charles Plinton, a former University of Akron graduate student who was acquitted of drug trafficking by a Summit County jury in 2004 but was found ``responsible'' by a UA disciplinary panel and suspended. More than a year later, Plinton took his own life.

Parker organized Thursday's protest to raise awareness of the Kent case.

The march's cadence echoed throughout the campus on a day when hundreds gathered to commemorate the May 4, 1970, fatal shootings of four students by Ohio National Guardsmen on.

Campus police lined the sidewalks Thursday as the procession headed to Rizman Plaza. The protesters stood outside the administrators' windows yelling: ``No justice, no peace!''

Representatives were invited inside for closed-door meetings with several university officials, including Kent State Provost Paul L. Gaston.

The students asked for an evaluation of the Judicial Affairs policy, the resignation of the hearing officer and a decision on Griffin's appeal by May 15.

Gaston said the meeting was ``constructive'' and he plans a follow-up session.

``If students have issues, we want to know what they are,'' he said.

NAACP chapter President Shannelle Smith said the meeting was a first step. ``Meeting with them is progress, creating a dialogue and establishing our concerns -- we see that as progress.''

if about 400 or so people showed for the "stale" "boring" commemoration because it is outdated, what was the excuse for only about 150-200 showing for the march against the current wars ? there were more people at the candlelight march on the 3rd than at the anti-war march the 4th.
i'm not going to discuss the historical and current significance of may 4 here. there are a lot of different reasons people continue to come back each year .

i personally find most speeches at current anti-war demonstrations to be rehashing of the same thing i've heard for 20 years - sometimes those in power and countries they're attacking change. i still go to the demos, but its not to hear the featured speakers.

as one who helped organize the march & speakout and an auxilliary member of the task force, i think its important to start thinking in new ways to grow "the movement" , or we'll simply keep walking and talking with the same small core of folks.

...on passing smokin tattooz, a man came out and asked me what was going on - when i told him it was an antiwar demo, he replied "good - we need more of them"

an old hippie anarchist kent resident, former student.

People are demoralized and feel like it is no use to protest. All I can say to that is yes it DOES make a difference to protest. If the Latinos had not risen up and hit the streets there would not even be any debate going on among the ruling class about the horrible immigration bill -they would have passed it no questions asked. If we had not protested befgore the Iraq war the U.S. government would have had a UN mandate and other countries would have allowed the U.S. military to have bases in their countries. Women would not have the bote, Civil rights ect ...these are but a few of many examples thruouth history. The fact is social justice has NEVER been won except when people hit the streets.No politicians are going to come down from Heaven and save us folks...it is up to us.
I have been fighting for human rights since Viet Nam....we can NEVER let the students who were killed at Kent and Jackson's State names ever be forgotten and lost in History....any more than today's Rachel Corrie should ever be forgotten. Once we forget history we are forced to relive it.
I agree we are fighting for today and for a future...but the reason we remember May 4th is because today we are fighting the same battles only now the U.S. is the only world superpower.So yes fight for today but never forget yesterday...it was not so long ago.
We need a students movement everywhere on every campus across this land and the world.
I would have liked to see many more young people out there....without that we do not have a snowball's chance in Hell of stopping the facist trajectory this country is headed in.
" That which you will not resist and mobilize to stop, you will learn-or be forced- to accept."
"The Future Is unwritten, Which One We Get Is Up To Us"
http://www.worldcantwait.org

People are demoralized and feel like it is no use to protest. All I can say to that is yes it DOES make a difference to protest. If the Latinos had not risen up and hit the streets there would not even be any debate going on among the ruling class about the horrible immigration bill -they would have passed it no questions asked. Yes we did not stop the latest war but If we had not protested before the Iraq war the U.S. government would have had a UN mandate and other countries would have allowed the U.S. military to have bases in their countries. Women would not have the vote, Civil rights , Apartheid, ect ...these are but a few of many examples throughout history. The fact is social justice has NEVER been won except when people hit the streets.No politicians are going to come down from Heaven and save us folks...it is up to us.
Besides that I myself protest not to appeal to the politicians but to let the people of the world know that this government does not speak for me and to give inspiration to those who have been so badly hurt by the policies of these criminals.
I have been fighting for human rights since Viet Nam....we can NEVER let the students who were killed at Kent and Jackson's State names ever be forgotten and lost in History....any more than today's Rachel Corrie should ever be forgotten. Once we forget history we are forced to relive it.
I agree we are fighting for today and for a future...but the reason we remember May 4th is because today we are fighting the same battles only now the U.S. is the only world superpower.So yes fight for today but never forget yesterday...it was not so long ago.
We need a students movement everywhere on every campus across this land and the world.
I would have liked to see many more young people out there....without that we do not have a snowball's chance in Hell of stopping the facist trajectory this country is headed in.
" That which you will not resist and mobilize to stop, you will learn-or be forced- to accept."
"The Future Is unwritten, Which One We Get Is Up To Us"
http://www.worldcantwait.org

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