DIY History | Transcribe | Campus Culture | Student protests, May-December 1971 | 1971-05-11 Iowa City Press-Citizen Article: ""New Disorders Here; Damage at Dorms""

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Student protests, May-December 1971

1971-05-11 Iowa City Press-Citizen Article: ""New Disorders Here; Damage at Dorms""

P. C 5/11/71
New Disorders Here;
Damage at Dorms

Rocks, Tear gas used In Melee
  A crowd of several hundred were involved at the men's dormitories early today after disorders broke out in the downtown area for the third time in a week.
  There were numerous injuries -- most of them minor - and extensive damage to the dorms.  Thirty-nine persons- including a Press- Citizen reporters - were arrested in the downtown disturbance.
  Police and students battled until 5 a. m. on Grand Avenue, the police throwing tear gas grenades into the crowd while the students -  mostly residents.
-------------------
      Editorial 
Comment: page 6A
of the men's dorms-- retaliated by throwing bottles, rocks, ashtrays and light bulbs and rolling eight-foot concrete culvert tiles at the officers.
  Tear gas filtered into the dormitories through numerous broken windows, driving many students from their rooms.
  City, state and University of Iowa officials conferred this morning about asking the state to dispatch additional highway patrolmen to Iowa City to quell any future disorders.
  Gov. Robert ray is expected to make a decision about authorizing additional support from the Highway Patrol sometime this afternoon.
  Gov. Ray said this morning the National Guard would be called out "only if matters cannot be controlled by law enforcement officers."
 
 The disorder near the dorms broke out shortly after 1;30 a.m., when someone set off a false fire alarm in one of the buildings, emptying its residents into the street.
  Police who were still processing prisoners arrested in the earlier disturbance downtown, were dispatched to meet the crowd at the intersection of Riverside Drive.
  As Missiles and tear gas grenades flew between officers and the crowd, someone stretched fence wire across Grand Avenue , one wire at shoulder height and one at ankle height, apparently to trap any charging officers.

Several fires were set and windows smashed in the dormitories.
  Police Chief Patrick J. McCarney termed the melee "nothing but mob violence."
 There was nothing political about it at all," the police chief said.
"It was unbelievable, fantastic," said McCarney, "You couldn't believe something like that could happen in this America, in this little Iowa city."
  McCarney said the crowd had broken up by 5 a.m. A number of students, angered at the incident, remained to clean up debris, he said.
The disturbance at the dormitories broke out after police had cleared the streets of a crowd that had roved through the downtown since about 8 p.m.
  Police used tear as and clubs to scatter the crowd, which had moved from the Pentacrest to University Security headquar-
DISORDER Turn to Page 2A
                Disorder
             From Page 1A
ters near Jefferson and Capi-
tol Streets about 11p.m.
     As the crowd milled about in Capitol Street, shouting taunts and throwing rocks at campus officers lined up around the University Security build-
ing, police charged in from the north, driving the crowd back to the Pentacrest.
   Many in the crowd were brought down by swinging clubs as they attempted to flee police running in from all directions.
    Several of the crowd and at least four policemen required hospital attention for injuries received in the melee.
     One young woman was hospitalized in a state of shock after she reportedly was struck in the head by a policeman's club.
       Rocks flew on the west side of the Pentacrest as plice chased more members of the scattering crowd.
       Tear gas lingered along Clinton Street as police ordered taverns emptied. 
       Only two isolated incidents of window breaking occurred in the downtown area.
       All but two of the 39 were charged with disorderly conduct. One man, John K. Ricker, was charged with assault with intent to do great bodily harm for allegedly throwing rocks at officers, and the other man, John Pinney, was charged with leaving the scene of an accident after his car allegedly struck Patrolman Robert Stika.
        The arrests came about three hours after the crowd - numbering about 500 - gathered on the Pentacrest and milled about in the intersection of Clinton Street and Iowa Avenue. About 10 p.m., the crowd moved south on Clinton Street, stopping at Burlington Street, while Johnson County sheriff's deputies lined up on the Courthouse lawn two blocks south.
        After milling in the Clinton- Burlington intersection about an hour, the crowd headed north toward the Pentacrest, paused and continued toward University Security headquarters, where the arrests began.
      The disturbances were not marked by any attempt at political demonstration, although antiwar slogans were chanted twice, each time for less than a minute, during the night. 
       Police Chief McCarney said he and Iowa Highway Patrol Capt. Lyle Dickinson made decision to move out against the crowd after it gathered near police headquarters.
      Unlike previous confrontations between police and crowds, the police did not form lines and order the fathering to disperse before moving in to make arrests. McCarney said there was "no time" to form lines.
      Iowa City police were aided by highway patrolmen, sheriff's deputies, campus police and Coralville police in clearing the crowd. 
       The Civic Center, scene of a bomb explosion early last Thursday, was guarded by shotgun-carrying members of the Police Auxiliary during and after the disturbances. Auxiliary members, wearing armbands labeled "Special Police," also  helped direct traffic after the downtown area was cleared. 
      McCarney said the civilian Special Police are not normally issued weapons, but carried arms last night because of the "emergency situation."

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P. C 5/11/71 New Disorders Here; Damage at Dorms Rocks, Tear gas used In Melee A crowd of several hundred were involved at the men's dormitories early today after disorders broke out in the downtown area for the third time in a week. There were numerous injuries -- most of them minor - and extensive damage to the dorms. Thirty-nine persons- including a Press- Citizen reporters - were arrested in the downtown disturbance. Police and students battled until 5 a. m. on Grand Avenue, the police throwing tear gas grenades into the crowd while the students - mostly residents. ------------------- Editorial Comment: page 6A of the men's dorms-- retaliated by throwing bottles, rocks, ashtrays and light bulbs and rolling eight-foot concrete culvert tiles at the officers. Tear gas filtered into the dormitories through numerous broken windows, driving many students from their rooms. City, state and University of Iowa officials conferred this morning about asking the state to dispatch additional highway patrolmen to Iowa City to quell any future disorders. Gov. Robert ray is expected to make a decision about authorizing additional support from the Highway Patrol sometime this afternoon. Gov. Ray said this morning the National Guard would be called out "only if matters cannot be controlled by law enforcement officers." The disorder near the dorms broke out shortly after 1;30 a.m., when someone set off a false fire alarm in one of the buildings, emptying its residents into the street. Police who were still processing prisoners arrested in the earlier disturbance downtown, were dispatched to meet the crowd at the intersection of Riverside Drive. As Missiles and tear gas grenades flew between officers and the crowd, someone stretched fence wire across Grand Avenue , one wire at shoulder height and one at ankle height, apparently to trap any charging officers. Several fires were set and windows smashed in the dormitories. Police Chief Patrick J. McCarney termed the melee "nothing but mob violence." There was nothing political about it at all," the police chief said. "It was unbelievable, fantastic," said McCarney, "You couldn't believe something like that could happen in this America, in this little Iowa city." McCarney said the crowd had broken up by 5 a.m. A number of students, angered at the incident, remained to clean up debris, he said. The disturbance at the dormitories broke out after police had cleared the streets of a crowd that had roved through the downtown since about 8 p.m. Police used tear as and clubs to scatter the crowd, which had moved from the Pentacrest to University Security headquar- DISORDER Turn to Page 2A Disorder From Page 1A ters near Jefferson and Capi- tol Streets about 11p.m. As the crowd milled about in Capitol Street, shouting taunts and throwing rocks at campus officers lined up around the University Security build- ing, police charged in from the north, driving the crowd back to the Pentacrest. Many in the crowd were brought down by swinging clubs as they attempted to flee police running in from all directions. Several of the crowd and at least four policemen required hospital attention for injuries received in the melee. One young woman was hospitalized in a state of shock after she reportedly was struck in the head by a policeman's club. Rocks flew on the west side of the Pentacrest as plice chased more members of the scattering crowd. Tear gas lingered along Clinton Street as police ordered taverns emptied. Only two isolated incidents of window breaking occurred in the downtown area. All but two of the 39 were charged with disorderly conduct. One man, John K. Ricker, was charged with assault with intent to do great bodily harm for allegedly throwing rocks at officers, and the other man, John Pinney, was charged with leaving the scene of an accident after his car allegedly struck Patrolman Robert Stika. The arrests came about three hours after the crowd - numbering about 500 - gathered on the Pentacrest and milled about in the intersection of Clinton Street and Iowa Avenue. About 10 p.m., the crowd moved south on Clinton Street, stopping at Burlington Street, while Johnson County sheriff's deputies lined up on the Courthouse lawn two blocks south. After milling in the Clinton- Burlington intersection about an hour, the crowd headed north toward the Pentacrest, paused and continued toward University Security headquarters, where the arrests began. The disturbances were not marked by any attempt at political demonstration, although antiwar slogans were chanted twice, each time for less than a minute, during the night. Police Chief McCarney said he and Iowa Highway Patrol Capt. Lyle Dickinson made decision to move out against the crowd after it gathered near police headquarters. Unlike previous confrontations between police and crowds, the police did not form lines and order the fathering to disperse before moving in to make arrests. McCarney said there was "no time" to form lines. Iowa City police were aided by highway patrolmen, sheriff's deputies, campus police and Coralville police in clearing the crowd. The Civic Center, scene of a bomb explosion early last Thursday, was guarded by shotgun-carrying members of the Police Auxiliary during and after the disturbances. Auxiliary members, wearing armbands labeled "Special Police," also helped direct traffic after the downtown area was cleared. McCarney said the civilian Special Police are not normally issued weapons, but carried arms last night because of the "emergency situation."