california history - California Historical Society

As Bloody Thursday came to a close, Governor Reagan established martial law in Berkeley. Beginning on May 16,three National Guard battalions, with supporting units under the tactical direction of Alameda County Sheriff FrankMadigan, occupied the city, erecting barricades and clearing the streets, bayonets at the ready. Although he limitedtheir mission on May 25, Governor Reagan did not recall the troops until June 2.© Photograph by Harold AdlerMadigan and his deputies were dubbed by parkdefenders as “the Blue Meanies,” recalling theoppressive forces in the Beatles’ recently releasedfilm Yellow Submarine. 50In the aftermath of Bloody Thursday, on May 16Governor Reagan rushed 2,700 National Guardsmeninto Berkeley to restore order, slapped on a10 p.m. curfew, and outlawed any form of publicassembly, with an edict banning the gatheringof more than three people in one place. Thegovernor’s restriction of the First Amendmentguarantee of freedom of assembly was so broadand far-ranging that, if enforced, it would haveprevented the convening of the Berkeley CityCouncil. Nevertheless, from May 18 to 23, crowdsof 1,500 to 5,000 protesters gathered in defianceof these stringent security measures, despiteincurring more than 800 mass arrests. 51During Reagan’s military occupation of Berkeley,a National Guard helicopter assaulted the entirecity with tear gas. Even Reagan acknowledgedthat the helicopter’s gas dispersal constituted astrategic error, although the governor defensivelyadded: “Once the dogs of war are unleashed,you must expect things will happen, and peoplewill make mistakes on both sides.” Nevertheless,law enforcement’s use of shotguns and tear gasonly increased local support for the park, includinga special three-day student referendum thatattracted 14,969 voters, a record turnout tripling