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Albuquerque Riots - 1971

I was perusing ebay when I came across these photos for sale (so mad that I missed this auction - who bought them?) concerning a three day "riot" in Albuquerque in June 1971.

A google search yielded the very interesting recollection at http://www.jamrent.com/coa/riot1971.htm

In a nutshell: a series of misunderstandings beginning at Roosevelt Park (is this place built on Indian Burial Grounds or something?), youth and police bravado led to a 3 day "riot' where several business were looted and/or burned down. Several people shot (one innocent bystander supposedly killed by a Circle K owner or employee, the first business burned down), arrested and/or hospitalized. The National Guard was eventually called in to help the subdue the rioters AND police.

Amazing stuff, I had no idea. Do any Fixers have any connection?

Tags: 1971, albuquerque, hippies, narcs, riot

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Permalink Reply by Kenneth A Marchand on March 18, 2012 at 9:09am

I remember the evening the riots started, I worked at Bella Vista and they closed at 7pm on Sundays. My best friend and I heard about the riots and we decided to drive down to take a look. We got downtown on Central and the street was jammed with cars. I don't remember seeing any actual rioting but I do remember there were alarms going off all over. I think we decided to head home.

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Permalink Reply by cc on March 3, 2010 at 8:48pm

I think it was Gene Frumkin who was the prof who allowed this poem to be read. At the tribute to him after his death back in 2008, folks remembered how brave he was to stand up to the administration after his reprimanding. I'll ask around and get back.

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Permalink Reply by cc on March 3, 2010 at 8:56pm

Yes, Gene Frumkin had the vision to assign the Lenore Kandel poem that caused the media uproar.

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Permalink Reply by cc on March 3, 2010 at 8:49pm

And I agree with you, JMG, that the poem is excellent.

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Permalink Reply by larry goodell on August 20, 2010 at 1:29pm

Controversy over the Kandel poem (the biggest news in New Mexico usually has something to do with poetry) got started earlier: 1968-69. Here's the UNM English Deptartment's account in an attached file,

But there's nothing in the English Department account about the crazy scene at Popejoy Hall packed to the rafters with lots of guys looking a little uncomfortable and bouffant secretary type gals by their sides. And there was a "Bible belt" of Christians being formed outside (wasn't one of the gentlemen running for governor?) trying to keep people from entering the hall and hearing that "nasty" poem.

There was a big delay and that's when people from the balcony made folded airplanes and sent them in volleys down to people below in the auditorium and we'd sail them back. Finally there on stage was Lenore Kandel with her "body guard" the Beat poet Gregory Corso to her left. And Lenore Kandel simply gave a wonderful almost nice teacher-talking-to-you reading of her poems in a well-enunciated musical voice and finally when she said she'd been requested to read the next poem you could hear a pin drop.

I've never heard a huge audience be so silent --- and she read the Love Lust Poem and, to me, it was as if the whole state of New Mexico breathed a sigh of relief. It was done. It was read by the poet and everyone survived.
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Of course earlier Gene Frumkin (admirably) read the poem outside the SUB to a big crowd and the wincing Governor David Cargo, but this, this event of Lenore Kandel reading her poems at Popejoy Hall was spectacular in New Mexico's literary history . . . .

Attachments:

Department of English UNM Account of Lust Lust Poem Controversy.txt, 3 KB

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Permalink Reply by Katys on January 28, 2011 at 11:08pm

May she rest in peace and I surely hope she got what she wanted! It sounds like she did! Bless her heart!

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Permalink Reply by once banned twice shy on March 2, 2010 at 3:07pm

Oh, I remember those riots well. I went to Monte Vista elementary school at the time and remember my eyes burning from the tear gas on my walk home. (That's back when children walked to school instead of having their lazy little butts carted around everywhere in cars) It was absolutely an anti-war protest--Albuquerque, in its typical style was a little late to the party and indeed there was a lot of just anger bottled up coming out. But this is an interesting fact: Larry Rainosek was able to buy up a LOT of property right around UNM because those businesses which were burned and looted moved right on out of there and so did some residents.

Yale Park at that time was bascially a hippie campground. You could barely see the grass for all the hippies hanging out there day and night. Hard to imagine it like that now.

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Permalink Reply by JMG on March 2, 2010 at 3:42pm

OBTS, so far you're the closest to the action! So it sounds like the anti-war "riots" were around Yale Park and some other uprising happened in Roosevelt Park, maybe the year before? Very interesting about Larry and the Frontier. V.B. Price would likely have more info. on those times.

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Permalink Reply by Caveman on March 3, 2010 at 12:06pm

I was at Monte Vista, too. Just moved to Albuq. from Chicago in early summer of 1971. There must have been more that one incident around Monte Vista, because I remember one day at school that tear gas was actually dropped on the school yard by a helicopter responding to the "riot." When they saw a bunch of kids dashing madly around, they mistook them for hippie rioters and gassed us. I just remember the helicopter circling around and around as the kids cried and screamed...what chaos! Monte Vista suspended school that day and sent all the kids home. My eyes were burning, but I was LMAO at the same time.