Isla Vista in the 1970s...
Map of Isla Vista,1968
Isla Vista Archives
was a densely-populated college town located adjacent to UC Santa Barbara’s campus. Isla Vista, commonly known as IV, served as an urban community for thousands of college students and locals to reside in. The political climate during this time caused many individuals to experience widespread feelings of anger over the Vietnam War. Consequently, they felt the need to strike and take action. Soon enough, the student protests contributed immensely to the chaotic and disruptive atmosphere that had enveloped Isla Vista.
On the night of February 25, 1970, the streets of Isla Vista were filled with students, activists, and police. Later that evening, the Bank of America in Isla Vista was burned. Some people say it was an act of revolution, other people say anger was the root of the cause. However, the culmination of infuriated feelings and tumultuous events influenced people to release their frustrations, bringing down the bank with them.
In this story we will reveal the multiple reasons that lead to the Bank of America burning through individual's perspectives.
USE YOUR HEAD—
NOT YOUR DRAFT CARD
New lottery created for the draft, 1970
Students protesting the draft, 1970
Students Against the Draft
At the height of the Vietnam War, tension grew as students gradually became more worried about the increased possibilities of deployment post graduation. Students started to feel the pressure on their shoulders as their futures were laid in the hands of the nation. Although students were supportive of the emerging anti-war sentiments, their residency in the small, isolated town of Isla Vista inhibited them from participating in protests that were held throughout the nation. Because the Bank of America in Isla Vista “was the biggest capitalist thing around,” said Becca Wilson, it served as an easy target for protestors of both the draft and the war to act against.
Due to the expanding war in Vietnam, the draft riled up feelings of anger and frustration. The draft was one of the many factors that led to the burning of the Bank of America.
- Becca Wilson
"The voting age in 1970 was 21, but after the lottery system was instituted for the draft, many younger students received numbers that increased their chances of deployment after graduation." - Taylor Haggerty (Daily Nexus)
The Fired Professor: Bill Allen
Professor Bill Allen,1970
(Joseph Melchione)
During these times, there was unrest all around. Anthropology Professor, Bill Allen, was at risk for termination by the University. University officials reasoned that he had "insufficient research, failure to meet departmental teaching standards, and a shortage of publications." (El Gaucho). Allen was a huge supporter of the anti-war movements and in fact, he participated in a few protests held in Downtown Santa Barbara. Deemed as one of the most popular professors on campus, Allen gained the support of students who held peaceful demonstrations requesting an open hearing. When the administration gave no real reasons for Allen's dismissal, students became furious and retaliated.
Isla Vista Archives
Newspaper clippings about the firing of Bill Allen,1970
Isla Vista Archives
UCSB Student Recollection
A UCSB student, member of the Radical Union in 1969, stormed back home after being turned away by the administration. The Radical Union's primary goal was to persuade the UCSB administration to reconsider the firing of their beloved professor. Allen was fired by the Anthropology department for questionable reasons such as his "political philosophy and lifestyle." In addition, the administration claimed Allen was "unorthodox, to say the least, in his teaching methods.” The UCSB Anthropology Department also stated said he hadn’t published enough papers on behalf of the department.
Soon enough, everyone immersed themselves in the Allen Case. Stories about other teachers being fired for their political stances without solid reason emerged from different parts of the nation. After numerous attempts to reason with the administration, students created a petition to give Allen an open hearing. Over 7,000 students signed the petition; however, their petition was immediately rejected. Consequently, students were more compelled than ever to lead peaceful demonstrations where students simply wanted their voices to be heard.
During one of the demonstrations, nineteen UCSB students were arrested and put on trial. “First the demonstrations in support of Bill Allen were dramatic, and then came this scene in Isla Vista, which led to the burning of the bank” Professor Richard Flacks stated. The police, acting as the source of violence, evoked students to express their pent up feelings of anger. After being repressed for so long, students searched for a means to take a unite stand, release their opinions, and let their voices be heard.
Isla Vista Archives
1. Bill Allen
2. Students gathered in peaceful protest
3. Richard Underwood getting arrested
4. Students protesting war, 1970
"The Administration says this is
none of our business."
- UCSB Student Flyer, Isla Vista Archives
Becca Wilson: On the Bank's Illegal Activities
Becca Wilson, a 4th year UCSB student and then editor in chief of El Gaucho, was used to the political unrest and student activism that had been going on in Isla Vista for some time. Wilson knew that the Bank of America was giving illegal loans to South African countries and indirectly supporting apartheid against government regulations, amongst other unsavory endeavors. Bank of America was illegally funneling money to the Pretoria Regime, which consisted of mostly white men in South Africa enforcing discriminatory apartheid rules towards the black population. Its military industrial complex took money from poor communities to invest in richer ones and support nuclear power. Wilson attributed this wrongful act as another contribution to the burning of the bank on the night of February 25, 1970.
Doug Hewitt: A Freshman's Perspective
Doug Hewitt, a new freshman, heard of UCSB's infamous reputation for its the party scene and eagerly packed his bags for college. Hewitt heard from a buddy that parties in Isla Vista were open invite and "no one ever locked their doors." However, once Hewitt arrived, the culture of Isla Vista had already changed. Suddenly, students were involved with national issues. "Nobody went and partied out. People thought having a keg of beer, standing around and talking with a bunch of people was a waste of time: ‘Why should I do that?’ Instead, I saw a lot of people sitting around smokin’ dope, getting very serious and tense about whatever” he said. UCSB was not the care-free, party school Hewitt heard legendary stories about. Everything just escalated leading up to that one night in 1970.
The Night of the Burning
February 25, 1970
5:00 PM - 6:00 PM
Defense attorney, William Kunstler, who represented the Chicago Seven (seven defendants charged by the federal government for inciting a riot related to anti-Vietnam War protests) following the anti-war protests at the 1968 Democratic National Convention, presented a speech at UCSB’s Harder Stadium to roughly 7,000 people. In his speech, Kunstler acknowledged the controversy regarding the fired Anthropology Professor, Bill Allen, in addition to other acts of violence in Isla Vista that had preceded his visit.
As a precaution, police were equipped with riot gear, rifles, and shotguns in anticipation of riots ensuing in the streets of Isla Vista.
“Imagine being in Harder Stadium and having the lawyer of a high-profile national trial...draw connections between what has been happening nationally with what has been happening on campus. And then imagine a large part of those attendees leave the stadium and … watch as police not just arrest a student but beat the shit out of him.”
- Malcolm Gault-Williams, SBCC student & KCSB broadcaster
6:00 PM - 7:00 PM
Hundreds of students began making their way to Perfect Park, gathering to participate in a peaceful rally where they’d have the opportunity to voice their concerns and to be heard. As UCSB student, Richard Underwood, walked back to Isla Vista, two sheriff deputies mistook his wine bottle for a molotov cocktail and proceeded to wrongfully arrest and assault him.
Students who witnessed the beating reacted by pelting rocks at police cars, eventually targeting IV realtor company windows, and gradually making their way towards the Bank of America. Between 6:30 PM and 7:30 PM a group of unidentified individuals pushed a lit dumpster into the Bank of America building and ignited the bank’s interior.
After leaving the Kunstler speech, IV quickly descended into chaos. The police had no control over the rioters as the anger grew throughout the town. Becca Wilson passed the bank on the way home, flames climbing higher and higher by the minute. She saw those flames as a representation of the anger and frustration with overwhelming police presence. Walking back home, she turned her back on the flames that would change everything.
Policemen were suited up in full riot gear, constantly patrolling the chaotic streets of Isla Vista and circling the Embarcadero Loop, monitoring the activities of protestors and rioters who caused major damages.
While student protestors congregated on one side of the field, police officers stood in a straight, uniform line on the opposite side. The sharp division between the two groups during this tumultuous time period continued to grow.
7:30 PM - 9:30 PM
Isla Vista was a virtual war zone. Growing crowds of protestors pelted patrol cars with rocks while others angrily threw molotov cocktails and fire bombs at police. Sheriff James W. Webster suited up in full riot gear and collaborated with two hundred other officers to develop a new method of controlling the chaos that was Isla Vista. Teams took six large county dump trucks and drove past the massed array of students and Isla Vista “street people.” Police officers shot an overwhelming amount of tear gas canisters at enormous crowds, forcing dissidents to quickly evacuate the area. Sheriff Webster later reflected on their new strategy, declaring that the approach “worked out well” and that they “did not feel compelled to arrest a single person.” Soon enough, Isla Vista was enclosed in a cloud of tear gas and smoke.
10:00 PM - 11:30 PM
Students formed barricades in the streets to prevent police from entering Isla Vista. The streets were blockaded with lit furniture, trash cans and other items, including a burning car parked in front of the Bank of America.
February 26, 1970
12:00 AM - 2:30 AM
Vehicle set on fire in front of the bank
Unidentified individuals piled a large bundle of papers together, repositioned the furniture inside of the Bank of America close to one another, and ignited it all with gasoline. The burning trash ignited the plywood that was initially set in place to protect the bank’s windows from shattering by rocks was consumed by flames that grew upwards of 30 to 40 feet into the air.
Students, like Doug Hewitt, were dragged from their apartments to see the commotion and the raging fire. The fire was mesmerizing but “It was like your worst nightmare. This is really happening. People would talk about it before. You heard about ‘oh, let’s go burn a bank,’ but it actually happened. I don’t remember if people were happy about it. There were some students who got really wrapped-up in the whole thing – it became their reason for being here” said Hewitt. But it wasn’t the reason he was there. Once the police started coming back, Hewitt ran back to his frat house as did many others.
Eventually, the building’s entire structure completely caved in.
2:30 AM - 4:00 AM
The roof of the building finally collapsed. Carrying plastic riot shields, policemen tamed down crowds and arrested those who failed to disperse. A helicopter hovered over Isla Vista near the site of the burning, demanding the crowds to disperse, threatening to distribute charges of unlawful assembly to those who resisted following orders. Throughout the night, police continued to patrol the streets and arrested anyone who still remained. In the early hours of the morning, crowds began to disperse and the chaos slowly died down in Isla Vista. The ‘I.V. I’ riot had finally come to an end.
Later that day...
Upon visiting Isla Vista on February 26, 1970, Governor Ronald Reagan declared a “state of emergency.” Governor Reagan stated, “I can promise full protection of the state, as this cannot be allowed to continue. I will not let this get out of hand as it has in other communities...So help me God, we will provide everything that needs providing.” 600 National Guard were deployed to Isla Vista to help maintain order. In addition, a strict curfew and an anti-loitering ordinance were both instituted in Isla Vista.
Governor Ronald Regan
While some believed the bank symbolized big business, capitalism, and the Vietnam War, others theorized that the bank burned out of anger and frustration with overwhelming police presence in Isla Vista. Greg Desilet, a 2nd year UCSB student, proposed, “[The burning of the bank] was locally centered with a lot of local anger toward police that had developed overtime,” and students targeted their rage at law enforcement officers constantly patrolling their community. Anger served as one of the many motivations for those who participated in the protests. The riots that ensued in Isla Vista “destroyed the town,” stated John Riley, another 2nd year UCSB student. Watching the flames engulf the Bank of America, Doug Hewitt recalled, “It was like your worst nightmare."
“Cops arrested this guy and set everything off...it was like throwing a match into a gasoline can, everybody just went nuts.”
- John Riley, 2nd year student
(Joseph Melchione)
(Joseph Melchione)
(Joseph Melchione)
(Joseph Melchione)
(Joseph Melchione)
Isla Vista Archives
Police wearing gas masks
Police facing student protestors
Police full suited in riot gear
William Kunstler giving his speech
Crowds watch as the bank goes down in flames
(Joseph Melchione)
The chaotic, barricaded streets of Isla Vista
(Joseph Melchione)
Dan Marleau: Sounds of the Night
"I heard angry yells and rocks bouncing off the pavements."
"The sound of
broken glass
rang piercingly from somewhere
down del Mar."
"Now all of us—whether residents of Isla Vista
or students of the
University—were sailing
together, like it or not,
into smoke-slickened, uncharted
waters."
- Dan Marleau, student
FBI Involvement: Cril Payne
When Cril Payne, former FBI agent, arrived in Isla Vista he was shocked at how much the party reputation had withered away. Instead it was filled with contempt and protests for their rights. According to his novel, Deep Cover, the FBI had deep involvement in Santa Barbara. The “students” that took charge inciting the riot that ended with the burning of the bank was actually an FBI operation known as COINTELPRO, or Counter Intelligence Program. This program aimed to surveillance, infiltrate, discredit, and disrupt domestic political organizations.
Was the burning really all the students' doing,
or has it always been the government controlling them?
This is a conspiracy that doesn't normally get mentioned with the burning of the Bank of America.
I.V. II Riot: A Student Casualty
A few months after the burning, on April 18th, a rally was scheduled against the trailer that was set in place as a temporary bank. After receiving notice of the rally, police suited up in riot gear, armed themselves with tear gas, and drove armored trucks to the site of the bank structure.
Lieutenant William Chickering was “positive that the dissents planned to burn down the new mobile Bank of America branch in Isla Vista.” When officers arrived at the site of the temporary bank, they discovered “quantities of molotov cocktails found hidden near the bank.” Lieutenant Chickering and his team acted quickly to disperse the growing crowds; however, that wasn’t enough.
A group of students attempted to protect the structure and stop the vandalization of the temporary bank. It was then that UCSB student, Kevin Moran, was shot and killed by David Gosselin, a Santa Barbara City policeman.
Kevin Moran
Age: 22
Hometown: Saratoga, CA
Major: Economics
Extracurricular: UCSB Crew Team
Saratoga Historical Foundation & New York Times
Professor Richard Flacks,1970
The Outside Professor:
Richard Flacks
Professor Richard Flacks was appointed to UCSB’s Sociology Department in 1969. He was a well known liberal leader who caused quite a stir in the community after they announced his selection. Although Flacks was not directly involved in any of the riots, he still reflected upon the events and what caused them in the first place. At the time, the police thought all the students were bad thus causing the brutality; however, Flacks said that the students thought the authority was, “at that point in time as backward, repressive, uncaring, unfeeling, sending [them] off to war, not understanding [their] values as young people.” The bank burning was not premeditated, but the student alienation and unrest in the streets led to the bank burning.
(Joseph Melchione)
Student Reflection and Bank's Evolution
_edited.jpg)
Burnt Bank of America sign after I.V. I riot, 1970
(Brian Negin)
Doug Hewitt started to really listen to the new perspectives about Vietnam and protests. “This was the first time we were kind of part of it,” Hewitt said. “It was almost like a coming of age because you go from it being your first time away from home to people being killed and arrested and tear-gassed.”
Reflecting on the aftermath of the burnt bank Becca Wilson said, “It suddenly created a lot of attention on IV itself and how students were living and sparked the creation of many community organizations and grassroots movements that turned into institutions.” In the end, the burning of the bank didn’t solve all the anger and pent up frustration that had stemmed from many years issues, but it was the spark that started change.
Did the bank's presence remain in Isla Vista?