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Historian draws parallels between Minneapolis and Kent State

04:49
A general view shows tear gas and students during an anti-Vietnam war protest at Kent State University in Kent Ohio, May 4, 1970. U.S. National Guardsmen opened fire during the protests killing four students and wounding five. (Larry Stoddard/AP)
A general view shows tear gas and students during an anti-Vietnam war protest at Kent State University in Kent Ohio, May 4, 1970. U.S. National Guardsmen opened fire during the protests killing four students and wounding five. (Larry Stoddard/AP)

The killing of two people at the hands of federal officials has Princeton University historian Julian Zelizer thinking back to May 4, 1970, when National Guard troops opened fire and killed four students protesting the Vietnam War at Kent State University in Ohio.

Here & Now’s Robin Young speaks with Zelizer.

This segment aired on January 27, 2026.

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