Campus Alert Archive
UMD

College Park Explodes: 2,000 UMD Students Block Route 1, Torch Buildings in Largest Protest in University History

MDcivil unrestemergency notificationmedium confidence
Confirmed Threat

Beginning May 1, 1970, in response to President Nixon's announcement of the U.S. invasion of Cambodia and then the May 4 Kent State killings, the University of Maryland experienced its largest and most violent protests in history, with up to 2,000 students blocking U.S. Route 1, vandalizing and setting fires in ROTC offices and the main Administration Building, and battling 250 police officers armed with batons, tear gas, and dogs. Maryland Governor Marvin Mandel declared a state of emergency and sent 600 National Guard troops to campus. Unlike at Kent State, no students were killed.

Alerts
3
Response
—
Killed
0
Injured
0
Institution
University of Maryland, College Park
Public R1 · MD
~28,000 students
Confirmed Timeline

Alert Sequence

3 messages in sequence

Some alert texts below are approximate reconstructions from news coverage, not confirmed verbatim transcripts. Reconstructed texts are shown in italic with a dashed border. Verified verbatim texts have a solid border and are marked accordingly.

INITIAL ALERTother
Approximate reconstruction246 chars
A demonstration is underway on the Mall in front of McKeldin Library regarding President Nixon's announcement of military operations in Cambodia. Students are asked to keep all protest activities peaceful. University operations continue normally.

This text has been reconstructed from news coverage and may not reflect the exact original wording.

At the noon rally at McKeldin Library on May 1, speakers attacked Nixon's decision to expand the war into Cambodia; students then moved to the university armory where they threw ROTC uniforms from a storage room window into the crowd below
By 1:15 PM on May 1, the crowd had moved to U.S. Route 1, blocking traffic on the main road into College Park in the first day of what became 12 days of campus-adjacent unrest
No electronic mass notification system existed at UMD in 1970; administration announcements reached students through radio, posted notices, and faculty intermediaries
UPDATEradio
Approximate reconstruction268 chars
Following the shootings at Kent State University, demonstrations at this campus have grown significantly. Students are engaged in confrontations with police on Route 1 and near campus buildings. All students should avoid these areas. Emergency services are responding.

This text has been reconstructed from news coverage and may not reflect the exact original wording.

The Washington Post reported on May 4, 1970, that the UMD protests had grown to 'the largest and most violent in the university's history,' involving 1,000 to 2,000 students and 250 police officers
Students vandalized ROTC offices in the university's main Administration Building, overturning desks and dumping file cabinets; multiple fires were set across campus and on Route 1
Police armed with riot batons, tear gas, and dogs confronted students who threw bricks, rocks, and bottles; fighting was described as continuous skirmishing for hours
UPDATEradio
Approximate reconstruction243 chars
Governor Mandel has declared a state of emergency for the University of Maryland campus. Six hundred National Guard troops have been deployed. A curfew is in effect. All students must return to their dormitories immediately. Route 1 is closed.

This text has been reconstructed from news coverage and may not reflect the exact original wording.

Governor Mandel declared a state of emergency after students set fire to the Main Administration Building; 600 National Guard troops were deployed under the command of Adjutant Major General Edwin Warfield III
Unlike at Kent State, National Guard troops at Maryland did not fire on protesters; no students were killed during the College Park unrest
The combination of ROTC office vandalism, Route 1 blockades, building fires, and police confrontations over 12 days made May 1970 the defining crisis in UMD's modern history
Context

Background

The May 1970 protests at the University of Maryland began May 1 after President Nixon announced the U.S. military had entered Cambodia, and intensified sharply after the Kent State killings on May 4. At their peak, 1,000 to 2,000 students engaged in confrontations with 250 police officers on and around U.S. Route 1, the main road through College Park. Students broke into ROTC storage rooms, threw uniforms from windows, vandalized and set fire to the university's main Administration Building, and fought running battles with police using tear gas, dogs, and batons. Governor Mandel declared a state of emergency and deployed 600 National Guard troops. The Washington Post reported on May 4 that the protests were the largest and most violent in the university's history. Unlike at Kent State, no students were killed at Maryland. The University of Maryland Libraries maintain a research guide on anti-war activism documenting the events. No electronic mass notification system existed at UMD in 1970; student and faculty communications relied on radio, posted notices, and personal outreach.
Analysis

Key Findings

Up to 2,000 UMD students participated in the largest and most violent protests in university history, blocking Route 1, setting fires, and battling 250 officers during the May 1970 Cambodia-Kent State protests
Governor Mandel declared a state of emergency and deployed 600 National Guard troops; unlike at Kent State, no students were killed
No electronic mass notification system existed at UMD in 1970; the administration relied on radio announcements, posted notices, and faculty to communicate with the 28,000-student campus
The events permanently shaped UMD's student governance relationship and the university's approach to campus civil liberties
Outcome
Governor Mandel declared a state of emergency and deployed 600 National Guard troops. The university eventually closed for several days. No fatalities occurred at Maryland. The protests permanently shaped the university's relationship with students on governance and civil liberties.
Provenance

Sources

  1. News
    May 1970: College Park Explodes - Boundary Stones WETA
    boundarystones.weta.org
  2. Official
    A Defining Moment - Maryland Today
    today.umd.edu
  3. Official
    Anti-War Activism - Student Activism at University of Maryland - Research Guides at University of Maryland Libraries
    lib.guides.umd.edu
  4. Source
    30 Days in May: U of MD 1970 - Washington Area Spark
    washingtonareaspark.com
Tags
civil-unrestprotestarsonnational-guardvietnam-erapre-cleryno-alert-system1970historicalmarylandcambodiakent-state-aftermathrotc
Added June 2026Updated June 2026Via ingestion