Seventy-two killed resisting gun confiscation in Boston:
BOSTON
National guard units seeking to confiscate a cache of recently banned assault
weapons were ambushed on April 19th by elements of a para-military extremist
faction. Military and law enforcement sources estimate that 72 were killed and
more than 200 injured before government forces were compelled to withdraw.
Speaking after the clash, Massachusetts Governor Thomas Gage declared that the
extremist faction, which was made up of local citizens, has links to the radical
right-wing tax protest movement. Gage blamed the extremists for recent incidents
of vandalism directed against internal revenue offices. The governor, who
described the group's organizers as "criminals," issued an executive order
authorizing the summary arrest of any individual who has interfered with the
government's efforts to secure law and order. The military raid on the extremist
arsenal followed wide-spread refusal by the local citizenry to turn over
recently outlawed assault weapons.
Gage issued a ban on military-style assault weapons and ammunition earlier in
the week. This decision followed a meeting in early this month between
government and military leaders at which the governor authorized the forcible
confiscation of illegal arms.
One government official, speaking on condition of anonymity, pointed out that
"none of these people would have been killed had the extremists obeyed the law
and turned over their weapons voluntarily." Government troops initially
succeeded in confiscating a large supply of outlawed weapons and ammunition.
However, troops attempting to seize arms and ammunition in Lexington met with
resistance from heavily-armed extremists who had been tipped off regarding the
government's plans. During a tense standoff in Lexington 's town park, National
Guard Colonel Francis Smith, commander of the government operation, ordered the
armed group to surrender and return to their homes. The impasse was broken by a
single shot, which was reportedly fired by one of the right-wing extremists.
Eight civilians were killed in the ensuing exchange.
Ironically, the local citizenry blamed government forces rather than the
extremists for the civilian deaths. Before order could be restored, armed
citizens from surrounding areas had descended upon the guard units. Colonel
Smith, finding his forces overmatched by the armed mob, ordered a retreat.
Governor Gage has called upon citizens to support the state/national joint
task force in its effort to restore law and order. The governor also demanded
the surrender of those responsible for planning and leading the attack against
the government troops. Samuel Adams, Paul Revere, and John Hancock, who have
been identified as "ringleaders" of the extremist faction, remain at large. >
And this, people, is how the American Revolution began.
April 20, 1775