Controversial Chicano activist Reies Lopez Tijerina dies at age 88
Photo circa 1966
The Associated Press reports that Reies Lopez Tijerina, known in some circles as a champion of Chicanos’ land-rights claims and the leader of a group that raided a northern New Mexico courthouse nearly 50 years ago, has died at age 88. He died Monday at an El Paso, Texas, hospital, of natural cases.
In 1967, Tijerina led a raid of the courthouse in Tierra Amarilla to attempt a citizen’s arrest of the district attorney after eight members of Tijerina’s group had been arrested over land grant protests. During the raid, the group shot and wounded a state police officer and jailer, beat a deputy, and took the sheriff and a reporter hostage before escaping. The raid led to years of court battles around land grant claims.
KJ
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