DIY History | Transcribe | Social Justice | Student protests, 1972-1973 | 1972-05-12 Daily Iowan Article: ""Protesters block I-80"" Page 2

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Student protests, 1972-1973

1972-05-12 Daily Iowan Article: ""Protesters block I-80"" Page 2

Protestors block I-80

By Daily Iowan Staff Writers

Antiwar protestors in Iowa City Thursday night blocked a portion of Interstate 80 for a short time before being routed by police and tear gas, in the third evening of demonstrations in a week.
The protestors reached the Interstate after a conformation with Iowa Highway patrolmen at Dubuque Street near City Park and after sometimes running, sometimes walking through streets, yards and pastures in the north part of the city.
Police reported about 1 a.m. Friday that 19 persons had been arrested in connection with the protests. One was charged with defacing property and the rest, arrested at the Intestate 80 skirmish, were charged with criminal tresspass.
At least two persons were injured.  One man suffered a head laceration and a woman was injured when she apparently ran into a barbed wire fence, police said.
In another development early Friday morning, two UI sororities reported to police that bleeding dead pigs had been dumped on their houses' steps.
The evening's activity started at the Pentacrest where about 400 demonstrators were urged to "blockade I-80 for peace."
That brought on cheers and the demonstrators walked down the west side of the Pentacrest, onto Iowa Avenue. From there, they crossed the river and marched through the Grand Avenue residence hall area to pick up support.
Then the contingent, beginning to swell up to 700 or 800 came back across the Burlington Street Bridge and swung up past the Clinton Street dorms, shouting "on to the Interstate."
Shortly after the growing group turned north onto North Dubuque Street at 9:30 p.m., the group spotted a line of about 60 police lined up at the Park Road intersection near City Park.
Nevertheless, the demonstrators-- nearing 1,000 in number-- continued to advance on the police, ignoring a bullhorned order by the highway patrol to get off the street,
Then the patrol activated a fogger at 9:45 p.m. and began shooting smoke into the crowd in front of the Beta Theta Pi fraternity house.
At first, crowd members thought a gas was being used, but several protestors nearly walked into the fogger to demonstrate that the smoke was harmless.
While the patrol was dispersing the smoke and stopping the crowd movement, some demonstrators hurled rocks at the riot-dressed patrol members.
Tear gas, however, was not used at this point.
At 10:00, when it looked as though the crowd would be unable to reach the Interstate on Dubuque Street because of the police, it abruptly stood up and reversed directions, heading south on Dubuque Street.
The crowd turned east on Brown Street, and then ran and walked through the dark residential streets, north on Dodge Street, then through yards and pastures heading north to reach Interstate 80 by another route.
About a block before Prairie du Chien Road overpass the crowd split into two groups as it sighted police on the overpass.
As the protestors were approaching the interstate, they ironically were guided through a thickly wooded area by a floodlight shining from a helicopter above.
About 60 persons converged on a section of Interstate 80 to the west of the overpass, and a brush fire was set in the east-bound lane.
Traffic was stopped by the protestors, some of whom sat on the Interstate for about five minutes before being routed by police.
Iowa City and Coralville policemen, wielding riot sticks, chased the group off the highway, and at least one protestor was injured in the skirmish.
By 10:45, the protest on the west side of the overpass had subsided enough so that the interstate was open.
At about the same time, a slightly larger group of protestors headed toward the Interstate on the east side of the overpass. That group did not actually go on the Interstate however, because it was met by a busload of highway patrolmen and tear gas.
Between 10:30 and 11:00 nearly 15 cannisters of tear gas were fired onto the crowd, which was in a thickly wooded valley next to the eastbound lane of the Interstate.
Between 15 and 20 young "vigilantes" helped keep the police posted as to the direction the protestors were moving, and one of them said to a patrolmen, "we'll help you get those sons of bitches."
From 10:30 through 11:00, Interstate traffic was moving very slowly, and st times, not at all, because of highway patrol blockades.
By 11:05 many of the protestors had left the valley because of the tear gas, and regrouped on Prairie du Chien Road, just south of the overpass. About 40 policemen and patrolmen began chasing the crowd south on Prairie du Chien, and more arrests were made as the crowd dispersed.
A smaller crowd, composed of some of the same people who had been involved in the Interstate protest, assembled on the steps of the Old Capitol at 11:30, and a trash can was set afire at 11:45.
Several newspersons reported problems in covering the protest and one Daily Iowan reporter said she believes police were angry at the press because of radio reports broadcast over station KXIC.
Another DI reporter was told by a lawmen to keep his credentials in hand "or you'll have one of these clubs wrapped around your head." Other newsmen were told by officers to "keep out of out hair."
The radio station offered its FM listeners on-the-spot play-by-play coverage of much of Thursday night's action.
It was reported that Michael Seller, state director of public safety, called the station three times during the night urging that its reporters "tone down" their reports.
Mayor C. L. Brandt and City Atty, Jay H. Honohan also asked that the on-the-scene broadcasts be curbed because officials feared the reports were drawing a crowd to the protests.
Just before midnight, the Pentacrest was surrounded by Highway Patrolmen, although most of them did not approach the crowd of 150 protestors, because Dickinson talked with UI Vice-Provost Phillip G. Hubbard, both of whom agreed that it would be alright for the crowd to remain on the Pentacrest.

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Protestors block I-80 By Daily Iowan Staff Writers Antiwar protestors in Iowa City Thursday night blocked a portion of Interstate 80 for a short time before being routed by police and tear gas, in the third evening of demonstrations in a week. The protestors reached the Interstate after a conformation with Iowa Highway patrolmen at Dubuque Street near City Park and after sometimes running, sometimes walking through streets, yards and pastures in the north part of the city. Police reported about 1 a.m. Friday that 19 persons had been arrested in connection with the protests. One was charged with defacing property and the rest, arrested at the Intestate 80 skirmish, were charged with criminal tresspass. At least two persons were injured. One man suffered a head laceration and a woman was injured when she apparently ran into a barbed wire fence, police said. In another development early Friday morning, two UI sororities reported to police that bleeding dead pigs had been dumped on their houses' steps. The evening's activity started at the Pentacrest where about 400 demonstrators were urged to "blockade I-80 for peace." That brought on cheers and the demonstrators walked down the west side of the Pentacrest, onto Iowa Avenue. From there, they crossed the river and marched through the Grand Avenue residence hall area to pick up support. Then the contingent, beginning to swell up to 700 or 800 came back across the Burlington Street Bridge and swung up past the Clinton Street dorms, shouting "on to the Interstate." Shortly after the growing group turned north onto North Dubuque Street at 9:30 p.m., the group spotted a line of about 60 police lined up at the Park Road intersection near City Park. Nevertheless, the demonstrators-- nearing 1,000 in number-- continued to advance on the police, ignoring a bullhorned order by the highway patrol to get off the street, Then the patrol activated a fogger at 9:45 p.m. and began shooting smoke into the crowd in front of the Beta Theta Pi fraternity house. At first, crowd members thought a gas was being used, but several protestors nearly walked into the fogger to demonstrate that the smoke was harmless. While the patrol was dispersing the smoke and stopping the crowd movement, some demonstrators hurled rocks at the riot-dressed patrol members. Tear gas, however, was not used at this point. At 10:00, when it looked as though the crowd would be unable to reach the Interstate on Dubuque Street because of the police, it abruptly stood up and reversed directions, heading south on Dubuque Street. The crowd turned east on Brown Street, and then ran and walked through the dark residential streets, north on Dodge Street, then through yards and pastures heading north to reach Interstate 80 by another route. About a block before Prairie du Chien Road overpass the crowd split into two groups as it sighted police on the overpass. As the protestors were approaching the interstate, they ironically were guided through a thickly wooded area by a floodlight shining from a helicopter above. About 60 persons converged on a section of Interstate 80 to the west of the overpass, and a brush fire was set in the east-bound lane. Traffic was stopped by the protestors, some of whom sat on the Interstate for about five minutes before being routed by police. Iowa City and Coralville policemen, wielding riot sticks, chased the group off the highway, and at least one protestor was injured in the skirmish. By 10:45, the protest on the west side of the overpass had subsided enough so that the interstate was open. At about the same time, a slightly larger group of protestors headed toward the Interstate on the east side of the overpass. That group did not actually go on the Interstate however, because it was met by a busload of highway patrolmen and tear gas. Between 10:30 and 11:00 nearly 15 cannisters of tear gas were fired onto the crowd, which was in a thickly wooded valley next to the eastbound lane of the Interstate. Between 15 and 20 young "vigilantes" helped keep the police posted as to the direction the protestors were moving, and one of them said to a patrolmen, "we'll help you get those sons of bitches." From 10:30 through 11:00, Interstate traffic was moving very slowly, and st times, not at all, because of highway patrol blockades. By 11:05 many of the protestors had left the valley because of the tear gas, and regrouped on Prairie du Chien Road, just south of the overpass. About 40 policemen and patrolmen began chasing the crowd south on Prairie du Chien, and more arrests were made as the crowd dispersed. A smaller crowd, composed of some of the same people who had been involved in the Interstate protest, assembled on the steps of the Old Capitol at 11:30, and a trash can was set afire at 11:45. Several newspersons reported problems in covering the protest and one Daily Iowan reporter said she believes police were angry at the press because of radio reports broadcast over station KXIC. Another DI reporter was told by a lawmen to keep his credentials in hand "or you'll have one of these clubs wrapped around your head." Other newsmen were told by officers to "keep out of out hair." The radio station offered its FM listeners on-the-spot play-by-play coverage of much of Thursday night's action. It was reported that Michael Seller, state director of public safety, called the station three times during the night urging that its reporters "tone down" their reports. Mayor C. L. Brandt and City Atty, Jay H. Honohan also asked that the on-the-scene broadcasts be curbed because officials feared the reports were drawing a crowd to the protests. Just before midnight, the Pentacrest was surrounded by Highway Patrolmen, although most of them did not approach the crowd of 150 protestors, because Dickinson talked with UI Vice-Provost Phillip G. Hubbard, both of whom agreed that it would be alright for the crowd to remain on the Pentacrest.