May 3rd 1970- 1000 protesters against Vietnam. 900 national guard members use tear gas to disperse protesters.
May 4 1970- Officials stop a planned demonstration but 2000 protest anyways. Tear gas does not break up the crowd. The Nation Guard open fires and kills four students.
Many in the USA were shocked that middle-class US students had been shot by the national guard whose role is to protect
Most Americans were outraged that students had been involved in violent protests- 58% agreed that it was the students fault
Many students believed the government would kill more to stop protests. 400 campuses closed as 2 million students refused to go to classes.
A photograph taken after the protests by John Filo shows the dead body of Jeffrey Miller. The photo was used in reports worldwide. The photo became a symbol of opposition to the war.
Five days after the Kent state shootings 100,000 people in Washington DC campaigned against the war and the killing of students.
Anti-War protests increased after the invasion of Cambodia and Laos