Title: Manzanar
Headings: Manzanar, California
Manzanar, California
Daily Life
The Manzanar "Incident"
Establishing a Sense of Normalcy
Sources

Content: Ueno was brought back to the camp jail on December 6, but several thousand evacuees gathered again to demand his unconditional release and air other grievances. The director requested a military police presence because the agitated protesters began arming themselves with knives, hatchets, stones or any weapon they could find. A small group had forced their way into the hospital looking for Tayama and another 500 protesters surrounded the police station demanding Ueno’s release. The committee of five continued to negotiate with the police chief as the crowds swelled. By evening, the soldiers who were stationed in front of the building drew a line in the sand but the hostile protesters surged closer. The crowd became extremely unruly and tear gas was used to break up the demonstration. Although no orders were given to shoot, soldiers fired into the crowd, and a 17- year old was killed and eleven others were wounded. One of the wounded died later on December 11. Protesters who were considered troublemakers were removed from the camp and held in local jails. Those who were U.S. citizens went to a WRA isolation center at Moab and non-U.S. citizens were sent to Department of Justice camps.