kropotkindersurprise:1973 - The Wounded Knee Incident began on February 27, 1973, when approximately
kropotkindersurprise:1973 - The Wounded Knee Incident began on February 27, 1973, when approximately 200 Oglala Lakota and members of the American Indian Movement (AIM) seized and occupied the town of Wounded Knee, South Dakota, on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation. The protest followed the failure of an effort of the Oglala Civil Rights Organization (OSCRO) to impeach tribal president Richard Wilson, whom they accused of corruption and abuse of opponents. Additionally, protesters attacked the United States government’s breaking of treaties with Indian people and demanded the reopening of treaty negotiations.On the eighth day the US government issued an ultimatum, which the activists promptly burned. Around this time the leaders of the group declared the territory of Wounded Knee to be the independent Oglala Nation and demanded negotiations with the U.S. Secretary of State.Oglala and AIM activists controlled the town for 71 days while the United States Marshals Service, FBI agents, and other law enforcement agencies cordoned off the area. The activists chose the site of the 1890 Wounded Knee Massacre for its symbolic value. Both sides were armed and shooting was frequent. A Cherokee and an Oglala Lakota were killed by US fire. Around a half million bullets were fired at the town by US forces during the siege.Gifs are from this really interesting documentary: [video] -- source link