“Our biggest problems are freelance photographers and the hippies… They stay and eat up our stores, then leave. Then we have to clean up after them.”
-Richard Oakes, leader of the Alcatraz Occupation
“The occupation was struck by tragedy when Richard Oakes’ 13-year-old stepdaughter Yvonne fell from a third-story stairwell and died...Grief-stricken, Oakes soon left Alcatraz, robbing the occupation of its de facto figurehead and leader.” [1]
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CLICK ON THE IMAGE TO READ A DOCUMENT WEIGHING THE PROS AND CONS OF DENYING A GOVERNMENT PROPOSAL
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“Secret negotiations were held where the occupiers were offered a portion of Fort Miley, in San Francisco, as an alternative site to Alcatraz Island. By this time, mid-1970, however, those on the island had become so entrenched that nothing less than full title to the island, the establishing of a university and cultural center, would suffice.” [2] “Electricity and telephone service were cut off, followed by water." [3]
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“With the water situation, we don’t have enough water to flush our toilets, we have to haul seawater to do this. We don't have enough water to clean the island as clean as we want to because we have to ration it because anything could happen… Everyone should have water. God gave it to the land and we have a right to it. He didn't give it to the United States government.” |
“A fire broke out on the island. Several historic buildings were destroyed. The government blamed the Indians, the Indians blamed undercover government infiltrators trying to turn non-Indian support against them.” [4] "Public opinion began to turn against the occupation in June 1970, when a fire damaged the island’s lighthouse. Navigation in the Bay grew difficult." [5]
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The fire that burned down the lighthouse at Alcatraz and increased tensions between the government and the occupants. [U.S. Department of Transportation, 1970]
“That fire, we don’t know how it started anymore than anyone else does. GSA [General Services Administration] speculation that it was ours, and they can’t possibly know a thing like that because there haven’t been no government people on the island at all since the fire.” |
“In January 1971, two oil tankers collided in the entrance to the San Francisco Bay. Though it was acknowledged that the lack of an Alcatraz light or fog horn played no part in the collision, it was enough to push the federal government into action. President Nixon gave the go ahead to develop a removal plan -- to take place when the smallest number of people were on the island and to use as little force as possible.” [6] “Citing a need to restore Alcatraz’s foghorn and lighthouse, government officials finally quashed the occupation on June 11, 1971. By then, the occupation force had dwindled to a skeleton crew of only six men, five women and four children.” [7]
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“I believe it’s a fair statement to say that the maritime unions, maritime associations, as well as the government are in complete agreement that it is necessary to restore the lighthouse and the fog signals on the island if we are to avert the possibility of another serious collision… This was an intolerable thing that could not go on indefinitely.” |
“They said something about putting a lighthouse back or some kind of excuse like that. That’s all they’re ever full of. Excuses. That’s all white people are full of. History books are all full of excuses.” |
"We were negotiating with the government on the quiet and the meetings started April 13th of this year. And they guaranteed us during these meetings that...no one would be taken off the island...until negotiations were completed. And they broke their word on it." |