DIY History | Transcribe | Social Justice | Student protests, May-December 1971 | 1971-05-06 Des Moines Register Articles: ""Window-Smashing Spree In Iowa City War Protest"" ""No Action By Nearby Police""

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Student protests, May-December 1971

1971-05-06 Des Moines Register Articles: ""Window-Smashing Spree In Iowa City War Protest"" ""No Action By Nearby Police""

DMR 5/6/71

Window-Smashing Spree In Iowa City War Protest

By Larry Eckholt
(Register Staff Writer)

IOWA CITY, IA - Antiwar demonstrators smashed windows in several business buildings in the downtown area here Wednesday night after they were angered by a man who drove a pickup truck through a crowd of the demonstrators, reportedly striking three persons. 
Witnesses said the window breaking began at Barney's DX Service Station after members of the crowd said they saw a sign painted on the side of the truck. 
Hundreds of persons converged on the station minutes after the incident and began smashing windows with rocks. 
The crowd moved on to the Armed Forces Recruiting Station and smashed a plateglass door there. They then went on to the Iowa Book Store where several plateglass windows were smashed. 
Student crowd monitors stood in front of the book store windows, holding up their arms to protect the windows from thrown rocks. At least one student was struck and was led away, his head bleeding. 
The crowd then moved on to the post office where it smashed several windows despite efforts of student monitors to calm the situation and to protect the windows with their bodies. 
The crowd numbered no more than 300 at any time. Several hundred onlookers followed the crowd from place to place. 
The crowd continued to mill about the post office for a time. Unmarked police cars were seen in the area, but police made no attempt to move in and disperse the crowd by 10 p.m. 
Windows also were broken at Things and Things and Things an Iowa City gift shop, as the 
IOWA CITY -
Please turn to Page Three

DMR 5/6/71

NO ACTION BY NEARBY POLICE

IOWA CITY --
Continued from Page One

crowd moved away from the post office. Several rocks were thrown at Iowa State Bank and Trust Co. windows but no glass was broken.
Police said that no arrests had been made by 10 p.m.
The night's activities had begun with a sit-in at the intersection of Burlington and Clinton streets. The crowd sat in the street for about 45 minutes chanting and singing, before it began marching down Clinton avenue through the downtown area. The truck drove through the crowd on Washington Street between Clinton and Dubuque streets. 
None of the three who were struck by the truck appeared to be injured, witnesses said. The driver of the truck did not stop, they said. 
Before the march began, hundreds of outraged persons gathered at the steps of Old Capitol here Wednesday night to protest the alleged napalm burning of a "diseased mongrel dog" to dramatize the effects of the war in Indochina on people. 
The actual burning of a dog didn't take place. Organizers of the peace rally admitted it was a ploy to generate interest in the rally - but the thought of a dog being burned to death on the University of Iowa campus angered many present.
Several verbal barrages were hurled back an forth by people of carious political stances while a dog named "Clifford" was being led on a leash up the steps of Old Capitol for his "execution."
Some of Shots
Some of the shouts included: " If you're going to burn a dog burn yourself instead." Anyone who'd even think about burning a dog to make a political point has to be nuts"
Said Dick Philips, chairman of the U of I chapter of Vietnam Veterans Against the War.
"We were trying to draw an analogy to show those people who say, 'How can you burn a dog?' that they also should ask, 'How can you burn people in the war?'"
Earlier in the day, hundreds of students stood in silence on the U of I Pentacrest as the bell in the tower of Old Capitol tolled in memory of students slain at Kent State and Jackson State Universities during last year's tumultuous nationwide campus unrest following the U.S. invasion of Cambodia.
In the early morning, a bus carrying draft registrants was delayed more than an hour after an antiwar protester let the air our of its right front tire.

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DMR 5/6/71 Window-Smashing Spree In Iowa City War Protest By Larry Eckholt (Register Staff Writer) IOWA CITY, IA - Antiwar demonstrators smashed windows in several business buildings in the downtown area here Wednesday night after they were angered by a man who drove a pickup truck through a crowd of the demonstrators, reportedly striking three persons. Witnesses said the window breaking began at Barney's DX Service Station after members of the crowd said they saw a sign painted on the side of the truck. Hundreds of persons converged on the station minutes after the incident and began smashing windows with rocks. The crowd moved on to the Armed Forces Recruiting Station and smashed a plateglass door there. They then went on to the Iowa Book Store where several plateglass windows were smashed. Student crowd monitors stood in front of the book store windows, holding up their arms to protect the windows from thrown rocks. At least one student was struck and was led away, his head bleeding. The crowd then moved on to the post office where it smashed several windows despite efforts of student monitors to calm the situation and to protect the windows with their bodies. The crowd numbered no more than 300 at any time. Several hundred onlookers followed the crowd from place to place. The crowd continued to mill about the post office for a time. Unmarked police cars were seen in the area, but police made no attempt to move in and disperse the crowd by 10 p.m. Windows also were broken at Things and Things and Things an Iowa City gift shop, as the IOWA CITY - Please turn to Page Three DMR 5/6/71 NO ACTION BY NEARBY POLICE IOWA CITY -- Continued from Page One crowd moved away from the post office. Several rocks were thrown at Iowa State Bank and Trust Co. windows but no glass was broken. Police said that no arrests had been made by 10 p.m. The night's activities had begun with a sit-in at the intersection of Burlington and Clinton streets. The crowd sat in the street for about 45 minutes chanting and singing, before it began marching down Clinton avenue through the downtown area. The truck drove through the crowd on Washington Street between Clinton and Dubuque streets. None of the three who were struck by the truck appeared to be injured, witnesses said. The driver of the truck did not stop, they said. Before the march began, hundreds of outraged persons gathered at the steps of Old Capitol here Wednesday night to protest the alleged napalm burning of a "diseased mongrel dog" to dramatize the effects of the war in Indochina on people. The actual burning of a dog didn't take place. Organizers of the peace rally admitted it was a ploy to generate interest in the rally - but the thought of a dog being burned to death on the University of Iowa campus angered many present. Several verbal barrages were hurled back an forth by people of carious political stances while a dog named "Clifford" was being led on a leash up the steps of Old Capitol for his "execution." Some of Shots Some of the shouts included: " If you're going to burn a dog burn yourself instead." Anyone who'd even think about burning a dog to make a political point has to be nuts" Said Dick Philips, chairman of the U of I chapter of Vietnam Veterans Against the War. "We were trying to draw an analogy to show those people who say, 'How can you burn a dog?' that they also should ask, 'How can you burn people in the war?'" Earlier in the day, hundreds of students stood in silence on the U of I Pentacrest as the bell in the tower of Old Capitol tolled in memory of students slain at Kent State and Jackson State Universities during last year's tumultuous nationwide campus unrest following the U.S. invasion of Cambodia. In the early morning, a bus carrying draft registrants was delayed more than an hour after an antiwar protester let the air our of its right front tire.