BOSTON - National guard units seeking to confiscate a cache of recently banned
weapons were ambushed 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 weapons. Gage
issued a ban on private ownership of 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 the 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
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.

April 20, 1775


Just a friendly reminder ~ what is happening now, happened then as well...except one thing...they did something about it.

Source: http://www.pcisys.net/~peregrine/Radical.htm

    I am sure the citizens of today would act exactly like they did back then. The only difference being it might take everyone awhile to wade through all the lies and secrecy the gov't would use before realizing our freedom would be the next thing we would hand over.

   Nice post!!! Very enlightening.

Excellent post!  Well written Hannah - was it you that wrote it?

Sorta brings things into perspective, doesn't it?

No, the credit link is at the bottom of the post.
But it really makes you think, till some of the place and people names come up.

Oh, geez -

Do we really have to wade through old, worn out stuff like this?  I realize that you probably just stumbled across it, but we've all seen this dozens of times before.  Isn't there is Good Times Virus warning or Modem Tax alert you could be posting instead?  I hear that Craig Shefield need more get well cards.

Give it a rest.....

My thoughts exactly.  How about that Hanoi Jane article or that WTC tourist dude?