DIY History | Transcribe | Social Justice | Student protests, 1972-1973 | 1972-05-25 Iowa City Press-Citizen Article: ""Spring Disturbances Almost Like a Script""

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Student protests, 1972-1973

1972-05-25 Iowa City Press-Citizen Article: ""Spring Disturbances Almost Like a Script""

P.C. 5/25/72

Air of Inevitability Preceded Protests Spring Disturbances Almost Like a Script

By WILLIAM G. HLADKY
Of the Press-Citizen
With the advantage of two weeks of hindsight, this year's disturbances in Iowa City seem less out of place than a fact of spring.
Like a script in a play, everybody followed his lines contributing to the air of inevitability that preceded the spring climax.
In mid-March, Iowa City was gearing up an Emergency Operation Center to aid enforcement during disturbances. A month later the state broadened the concept to an Emergency Operation Board to coordinate activity of all law enforcement agencies.
The University of Iowa sent memos that same month to university staff and faculty asking for volunteers to become monitors in the event of disturbances.
This air of inevitability was even present last fall. Several freshmen in one dorm asked an upperclassman in October when the troubles would begin. When troubles did begin, university freshmen composed a large segment of the protesters. Of the 47 people arrested this year 18 can be identified as university freshmen. Others were local high school students.
This is not to say that many of the agitators this year were new to the community. For many weeks leading up to the first disturbance, people wo have been in Iowa City for several years were at least casually planning - or at least hoping - for trouble.
The freshmen and the large number of high school students supplied the more experienced agitators with a small group of people who - through inexperience - believed particating in such disturbances would be somehow constructive or at least exciting.
The great majority of the UI student body this year was not impressed with street protesting. The relative passive political school year reflected this attitude. UI experience only one major protest this year with the canceled lecture of Prof. Richard Herrnstein, Harvard psychology professor.
Thus, when the first disturbance occurred, the agitators could only muster about 200 people in the streets. After the first destructive night of disturbances, the air of inevitability seemed to have been broken. Unlike last year, agitators did not have the public criticism of police conduct to further community tensions. Instead, under the single command of the Emergency Operation Board, the law enforcement agencies received public praise.
The agitators, though, quickly found fuel to move more people into the streets with President Nixon's mining of North Vietnamese harbors. But unlike the disturbance before the president's speech, these protests were of a different nature.
Students, who a week earlier condemned the window breaking group, now joined thse same people in the streets. But this more peaceful faction was not willingly to be a part of a destructive mob. On May 9, about 2,000 young people paraded through downtown Iowa City without a window broken. This crowd was ten times the size of the more destructive crowd five days earlier.
At one point, one youth threw an object which bounced off a window. He was quickly booed and vigorously scorned by those around him.
Acting Police Chief Emmett E. Evans confirmed this observation. He said the crowd this year was much less "hostile" than last year and included a smaller number of agitators who had carried the troubles into early morning hours a year ago. Several nights last year police and protesters battled until 3 a.m.
The reduction of agitation this year is reflected in police expenses. Police overtime was figured at only $4,000 compared to $8,000 last year.
Evans pointed out that last year the police worked alone. This year, city officials from other departments aided the police. Many of them, without pay, drove city maintenance trucks to monitor crowd movements.
Another difference this year was that the Iowa Highway Patrol became involved in the spring's disturbances much earlier than last year.
Yet, even with the early mobilization of the patrol and the longer stay in Iowa City this year, the estimated cost is only $1,000 more than last year. This year the State Department of Public Safety estimated the disturbance cost - not including overtime - at about $15,000.
Other costs this year include the Bureau of Investigation at $900 this year compared to $2,000 last year; Coralville police costs at $650 compared to $500 last year; Johnson County Sheriff cost at $1,000 compared to $7,500 last year; and UI security costs the same as last year at $4,000.
Damage to UI buildings was lower this year at $500 compared to $5,700 last year.
Comparing sums from the same sources of both years, the demonstrations this year - excluding the estimated $20,000 window damage sustained the first night of disturbances - cost about $26,050 compared to $41,700 last year. Adding the window damage in the first night's outburst, however, brings the total over last year's costs.

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P.C. 5/25/72 Air of Inevitability Preceded Protests Spring Disturbances Almost Like a Script By WILLIAM G. HLADKY Of the Press-Citizen With the advantage of two weeks of hindsight, this year's disturbances in Iowa City seem less out of place than a fact of spring. Like a script in a play, everybody followed his lines contributing to the air of inevitability that preceded the spring climax. In mid-March, Iowa City was gearing up an Emergency Operation Center to aid enforcement during disturbances. A month later the state broadened the concept to an Emergency Operation Board to coordinate activity of all law enforcement agencies. The University of Iowa sent memos that same month to university staff and faculty asking for volunteers to become monitors in the event of disturbances. This air of inevitability was even present last fall. Several freshmen in one dorm asked an upperclassman in October when the troubles would begin. When troubles did begin, university freshmen composed a large segment of the protesters. Of the 47 people arrested this year 18 can be identified as university freshmen. Others were local high school students. This is not to say that many of the agitators this year were new to the community. For many weeks leading up to the first disturbance, people wo have been in Iowa City for several years were at least casually planning - or at least hoping - for trouble. The freshmen and the large number of high school students supplied the more experienced agitators with a small group of people who - through inexperience - believed particating in such disturbances would be somehow constructive or at least exciting. The great majority of the UI student body this year was not impressed with street protesting. The relative passive political school year reflected this attitude. UI experience only one major protest this year with the canceled lecture of Prof. Richard Herrnstein, Harvard psychology professor. Thus, when the first disturbance occurred, the agitators could only muster about 200 people in the streets. After the first destructive night of disturbances, the air of inevitability seemed to have been broken. Unlike last year, agitators did not have the public criticism of police conduct to further community tensions. Instead, under the single command of the Emergency Operation Board, the law enforcement agencies received public praise. The agitators, though, quickly found fuel to move more people into the streets with President Nixon's mining of North Vietnamese harbors. But unlike the disturbance before the president's speech, these protests were of a different nature. Students, who a week earlier condemned the window breaking group, now joined thse same people in the streets. But this more peaceful faction was not willingly to be a part of a destructive mob. On May 9, about 2,000 young people paraded through downtown Iowa City without a window broken. This crowd was ten times the size of the more destructive crowd five days earlier. At one point, one youth threw an object which bounced off a window. He was quickly booed and vigorously scorned by those around him. Acting Police Chief Emmett E. Evans confirmed this observation. He said the crowd this year was much less "hostile" than last year and included a smaller number of agitators who had carried the troubles into early morning hours a year ago. Several nights last year police and protesters battled until 3 a.m. The reduction of agitation this year is reflected in police expenses. Police overtime was figured at only $4,000 compared to $8,000 last year. Evans pointed out that last year the police worked alone. This year, city officials from other departments aided the police. Many of them, without pay, drove city maintenance trucks to monitor crowd movements. Another difference this year was that the Iowa Highway Patrol became involved in the spring's disturbances much earlier than last year. Yet, even with the early mobilization of the patrol and the longer stay in Iowa City this year, the estimated cost is only $1,000 more than last year. This year the State Department of Public Safety estimated the disturbance cost - not including overtime - at about $15,000. Other costs this year include the Bureau of Investigation at $900 this year compared to $2,000 last year; Coralville police costs at $650 compared to $500 last year; Johnson County Sheriff cost at $1,000 compared to $7,500 last year; and UI security costs the same as last year at $4,000. Damage to UI buildings was lower this year at $500 compared to $5,700 last year. Comparing sums from the same sources of both years, the demonstrations this year - excluding the estimated $20,000 window damage sustained the first night of disturbances - cost about $26,050 compared to $41,700 last year. Adding the window damage in the first night's outburst, however, brings the total over last year's costs.