Guards armed with M16s were stopping everyone, telling them to turn back and return to their homes, but not offering any explanation. Lots of people were furious enough to get out of their cars and approach the border, telling the guards they had no right to hold them there.

As an angry mob starting building up, the guards had a harder time maintaining order, so they fired some warning shots to keep the crowd under control. That worked for the most part, and my parents were among the first to turn back before anything bad happened.

Over the next couple of days though, the mob became angrier and more determined to get through. As they became more confrontational, harassing the guards verbally and eventually shoving them, the guards began arresting a few people.

The unrest grew until a small group of people began throwing rocks and bottles at the guards. The guards tried firing more warning shots, but they were less effective now. When one person threw a Molotov cocktail, the guards had to step it up.

They used tear gas and rubber bullets to subdue the rioters, and while there were no fatalities, it was now very clear that they were serious about keeping us contained. What we still didn't know was why.

There was nothing on the news, so apparently reporters were either being kept away or kept quiet. The phone lines were dead, and this being 1980, there was no internet. It looked like answers would not be coming anytime soon.

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