BOSTON, April 19
- 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 estimated that
72 were killed and more than 20 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
April 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 their weapons over 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 over-matched 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 has 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.
"Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it."
-George Santayana 1863-1952
Current Mood: Free
Current Music: Yankee Doodle Dandy
My Carry Pistol: .69 caliber smooth bore musket
