1970 : Michigan State University Students Strike Over Vietnam

When:
May 20, 2023 all-day
2023-05-20T00:00:00-04:00
2023-05-21T00:00:00-04:00

When Michigan State University students decided to skip classes and strike over the war in Vietnam (May 7-20, 1970), MSU President Clifton Wharton and Governor Milliken did their best to avoid a repeat of the Kent State University fiasco when four students were killed by the Ohio National Guard. Although the students occupied many buildings on campus, and at one point it was estimated that 15% of the student body was skipping classes, as long as other students were allowed to attend classes, there were no repercussions until May 20th, when President Wharton called in State Police to arrest 127 students, ending the strike.

Sources :

Michigan Every Day

MSU Library Special Collections American Radicalism Vertical File

Anti-Vietnam War Sentiments at MSU, From On the Banks of the Red Cedar

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