Why the ‘Streets of Minneapolis’ have echoed with public support – unlike the campus of Kent State in 1970

In 1970, National Guard troops killed four protesters at Kent State University. In 2026, federal agents killed two Minneapolis protesters. Public reaction to the deaths was significantly different.

By: Gregory P. Magarian, Washington University in St. Louis, The Conversation

Outlets: The Conversation

Published: February 19, 2026

Words: 1,183

Last Updated: 3 days, 11 hours ago

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By Gregory P. Magarian, Washington University in St. Louis

The president announces an aggressive, controversial policy. Large groups of protesters take to the streets. Government agents open fire and kill protesters.

All of these events, familiar from Minneapolis in 2026, also played out at Ohio’s Kent State University in 1970. In my academic writing about the First Amendment, I have described Kent State as a key moment when the government silenced free …

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