Isla Vista Riot 3

Isla Vista Riot III: June 4th

The war wreaks havoc on Spring quarter

Less than a month after Kevin Moran's death, President Richard Nixon publicly acknowledged he widened the war in Southeast Asia to include Cambodia. Immediately, students at UCSB and others all across America rose in opposition to this escalation of the war.

May 5 1970, Isla Vistans and students held a rally on campus and confronted the Campus Police at the ROTC building, while four students were murdered at Kent State University by the Ohio National Guard.

That same day in 1970, Isla Vistans voted the Isla Vista Community Council into existence as its first organized collective voice.

Tuesday, June 3rd, the Santa Barbara Grand Jury indicted 17 Isla Vistans on charges of burning the Bank of America. They faced a total of 609 1/2 years on 72 counts. Bail was set for one of the 17 at $120,000. He was in the County jail the night the bank burned.

June 4th the people of Isla Vista again attempted to burn the bank, battling the police in the streets. When the fighting ceased, 667 people had been arrested. Incomplete figures showed numerous instances of police brutality, including: 92 cases of unprovoked beatings, 43 cases of illegal entry, 26 cases of willful destruction of property, 6 cases of threats of death accompanied by the use of weapons, and 5 sexual offenses against women.

On Wednesday, June 10th, 1500 Isla Vistans peacefully assembled in Perfect Park to defy a 7:30pm curfew and to express their opposition to the brutal treatment of Isla Vista residents. Within 15 minutes arrests began and soon gave way to beatings and the firing of teargas cannisters into the crowd at point blank range.

KCSB interview of 2 arrestees audio

KCSB reporter at Borsodi's Coffeehouse audio

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