File spoon-archives/anarchy-list.archive/anarchy-list_2000/anarchy-list.0004, message 574


From: "Tom Trouble" <twbounds-AT-pop.mail.rcn.net>
Subject: Fw: National Guard and Paramilitary Extremists Clash
Date: Wed, 19 Apr 2000 17:23:58 -0400


> Subject: National Guard and Paramilitary Extremists Clash
>
> April 19
>
> BOSTON - National guard units seeking to confiscate a cache
> of recently banned assault weapons were ambushed on April
> 19th by elements of a paramilitary 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 a "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.
>
>


   

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