DIY History | Transcribe | Social Justice | Student protests, 1972-1973 | 1972-05-15 Daily Iowan Article: ""Why Protest?""

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Student protests, 1972-1973

1972-05-15 Daily Iowan Article: ""Why Protest?""

Why Protest?
Many people agree it's frustrating, dangerous
By Gordon Hanson, Associated Press Writer
Being a campus protester these days is frustrating, complex and dangerous, say law officers, students and demonstrators after a week of sporadic anti-war demonstrations here. 
Their reaction came as this University of Iowa city of 50,000 braced Friday night for a possible fourth rowdy demonstration in eight days.
"If you're out there demonstrating, you're asking for it," said T. J. Sheil, a student from Kentucky.
"One student--a transfer from Berkeley--told me. You just don't know how difficult it is to be a student agitator these days."
Night Police Capt R. W. Lee said Friday "The last three years of demonstrations before now seemed to be more anti war than this year it seems to be a bunch of factions inter-mingling"
Sipping coffee with Ms. Shiel was Kenneth Herdliska, 20 of Iowa City. "There is no such thing as a spring season any more," Herdliska said "It's a radical season."
Bob Kendrick, 52, of Des Moines, is a World War II infantry veteran. In a separate interview, he said "I think this demonstration is ridiculous. i don't know what they're trying to prove. I think a lot of this goes back to their homes and parents."
He says he has put six children through college. "When they went to school, they knew what they went for. If there had been any hell raising on their part, that would have been the time they came home."
Ms. Sheil said she thought most of the marchers were probably innocent of wrongdoing in demonstrations Thursday night. 
"The students follow the leader," she said. "They're apathetic about what's going on. They really don't care."
She referred to the windows that were smashed in 39 businesses and give university buildings only a week earlier. 
"Most of the kids I've talked to think it's kind of stupid - you know- breaking windows. But how can the police judge who is who in a march?"
Richard Mullin, 19, a freshman from Sioux City, gazed through the cell bars in the city jail Friday. One side of his shirt and jacket were soaked with blood. His hair was matted red with a freshly stitched wound. 
" I was clubbed, " he said "I started to get up again and a policeman came around and shoved me to the ground and one of them kicked me."
Mullin described his part in an attempted blockade of Interstate 80 just north of Iowa City. 
Only a few domonstrators got past highway patrolmen to the freeway and traffic was stopped for only about 15 minutes. 
Highway Patrol Capt. Lyle Dickinson said no action was taken without warning "to disperse or suffer the consequences "They've always been told. 'You must disperse,' and anyone that remains after that knew full well they were going to face the consequences of several kinds of police action."
"There is no question," Dickinson continued "that some of the marchers got in the way of officers' clubs..They had all kinds of warnings but they kept on coming. No individual has any cause to reflect back against any action that was taken against them by any police officer."
" The police are doing a remarkable job under the circumstances they have to work with," said Andry Haigh, 54 of Iowa City in an interview in a coffee shop. 
Rodger Smith, 19, a sophomore from Waterloo was also jailed. 
"Most of the people arrested last night had no reason to be arrested." Smith said. 
"I was just an observer"
He told how he and four girls - one with a cast on her leg - were watching the freeway incident behind a house on a nearby hill."
"We were sitting there peacefully, waiting for everything to get done so we could return to the city."
"Two policemen must have heard our voices, They had flashlights and they told us to 'Stay there, If you run, you're in trouble' At no time did they tell us we were under arrest..then a bus came by. We were loaded up and brought down here."
At the front desk of the police station, Capt. Lee said he couldn't explain the reasons for the demonstrations. 
"For the last four years, we've had them. They drew on the aspects of anti war then different factions get together."
"And you also get a little action from the Jesus people." Lee mused. "There's ro rhyme or reason to it. I haven't heard any definite ironclad reason for these demonstrations."

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Why Protest? Many people agree it's frustrating, dangerous By Gordon Hanson, Associated Press Writer Being a campus protester these days is frustrating, complex and dangerous, say law officers, students and demonstrators after a week of sporadic anti-war demonstrations here. Their reaction came as this University of Iowa city of 50,000 braced Friday night for a possible fourth rowdy demonstration in eight days. "If you're out there demonstrating, you're asking for it," said T. J. Sheil, a student from Kentucky. "One student--a transfer from Berkeley--told me. You just don't know how difficult it is to be a student agitator these days." Night Police Capt R. W. Lee said Friday "The last three years of demonstrations before now seemed to be more anti war than this year it seems to be a bunch of factions inter-mingling" Sipping coffee with Ms. Shiel was Kenneth Herdliska, 20 of Iowa City. "There is no such thing as a spring season any more," Herdliska said "It's a radical season." Bob Kendrick, 52, of Des Moines, is a World War II infantry veteran. In a separate interview, he said "I think this demonstration is ridiculous. i don't know what they're trying to prove. I think a lot of this goes back to their homes and parents." He says he has put six children through college. "When they went to school, they knew what they went for. If there had been any hell raising on their part, that would have been the time they came home." Ms. Sheil said she thought most of the marchers were probably innocent of wrongdoing in demonstrations Thursday night. "The students follow the leader," she said. "They're apathetic about what's going on. They really don't care." She referred to the windows that were smashed in 39 businesses and give university buildings only a week earlier. "Most of the kids I've talked to think it's kind of stupid - you know- breaking windows. But how can the police judge who is who in a march?" Richard Mullin, 19, a freshman from Sioux City, gazed through the cell bars in the city jail Friday. One side of his shirt and jacket were soaked with blood. His hair was matted red with a freshly stitched wound. " I was clubbed, " he said "I started to get up again and a policeman came around and shoved me to the ground and one of them kicked me." Mullin described his part in an attempted blockade of Interstate 80 just north of Iowa City. Only a few domonstrators got past highway patrolmen to the freeway and traffic was stopped for only about 15 minutes. Highway Patrol Capt. Lyle Dickinson said no action was taken without warning "to disperse or suffer the consequences "They've always been told. 'You must disperse,' and anyone that remains after that knew full well they were going to face the consequences of several kinds of police action." "There is no question," Dickinson continued "that some of the marchers got in the way of officers' clubs..They had all kinds of warnings but they kept on coming. No individual has any cause to reflect back against any action that was taken against them by any police officer." " The police are doing a remarkable job under the circumstances they have to work with," said Andry Haigh, 54 of Iowa City in an interview in a coffee shop. Rodger Smith, 19, a sophomore from Waterloo was also jailed. "Most of the people arrested last night had no reason to be arrested." Smith said. "I was just an observer" He told how he and four girls - one with a cast on her leg - were watching the freeway incident behind a house on a nearby hill." "We were sitting there peacefully, waiting for everything to get done so we could return to the city." "Two policemen must have heard our voices, They had flashlights and they told us to 'Stay there, If you run, you're in trouble' At no time did they tell us we were under arrest..then a bus came by. We were loaded up and brought down here." At the front desk of the police station, Capt. Lee said he couldn't explain the reasons for the demonstrations. "For the last four years, we've had them. They drew on the aspects of anti war then different factions get together." "And you also get a little action from the Jesus people." Lee mused. "There's ro rhyme or reason to it. I haven't heard any definite ironclad reason for these demonstrations."