DIY History | Transcribe | Campus Culture | University of Iowa anti-war protests, 1965-1967

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University of Iowa anti-war protests, 1965-1967

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[handwritten]
11/2/67

Peace Keeper Started Day With Trouble
By TED HENRY 

John Evenden, A2 Granite City, Ill. who stands 6 feet 3 inches, began Wednesday as a leader of the counter-demonstrators and later emerged as one of those trying to prevent violence.
   About 10 a.m. Evenden and four or five others went over the heads of the arm-locked demonstrators who were blocking the entrance to the Union East Lobby.
   An hour later, however, Evenden was helping to keep counter-demonstrators off the stairs. 
   He told the onlookers that the Marine recruiters has gone for lunch and there was no reason to try and break through the ranks of the demonstrators.
  Evenden said that the recruiters were scheduled to return to the Union at 1 p.m. and that who wanted to get past the demonstrators. But Evenden also emphasized that he would aid only those persons who agreed to a strict code of non-violence.
    Evenden said he had agreed with the demonstrators that they would not resist those people who would remove their shoes and climb over their heads. 
   Evenden insisted that his presence at the demonstration had nothing to do with the Vietnamese war. He said anyone had the right to see a Marine recruiter, but violence was not the right way to assert that right. 
    At about 12:30 p.m. Evenden told the counter-demonstrators that the police were coming to maintain order. He added, " If you (counter demonstrators) want violence come to me first and I'll give it to you."

Success Of Protest 'Difficult To Evaluate' 

By JAN TEAGUE
The demonstration against the marine recruiters is "difficult to evaluate" in terms of its success. Everett Frost, G. chairman of Students for Democratic Society (SDS) said Wednesday night. SDS and the Draft Resisters' Union (DRU) sponsored the protest. 
   The demonstration encouraged people on campus who were against the Vietnamese war to take part in the protest. Frost said. These people gave bail money to the demonstrators who were arrested.
   " The demonstration also showed what other demonstrations all over the United States had shown," Frost said. " They're futile"
   " I personally think the majority of the American people are against the Vietnamese War and the U.S. power structure should realize it," Frost said. 
  Wednesday's demonstration was to have been non-violent. The demonstrators had planned to sit in front of the Union, but rain prevented it. Frost said all demonstrators agreed beforehand that no force would be used. 
   " Just about all the demonstrators stuck to the non-violent agreement," Frost said. "The hecklers in the crowd started the violence."
   Demonstrations planned for today and Friday will be non-violent, Frost said. " If a demonstrator acts up, we will either hold him down or ask him to leave"

Intensified Violence Begins, Police Retreat Unto Union. 
Continued From Page 1

canopy. This resulted in more minor injuries on the part of the demonstrators - who remained non-violent throughout the day, by the way - and a lot of shouting and roughhousing on the part of the hecklers. 
  Intensified violence began at about this point, with hecklers pulling demonstrators in the ranks out of line and beating them. I saw one youth dragged into the street, knocked to the ground and kicked several times in the stomach and around the head. A female demonstrator was punched in the face. The screams of the hecklers became increasingly brutal, obscene and mindless. 
   At this point the campus police chose to retreat into the Union, locking the door behind them, and leaving the beleaguered demonstrators helpless. A pane of glass in the door was broken accidentally by an officer and no attempt was made to clean up the potentially dangerous broken glass. Several of the demonstrators later cleaned it up. 

Hanna Turns Head
   Around 11 a.m.  I disengaged myself from the demonstration and wandered among the crowd of hecklers - now numbering several hundred, males and females - listening and watching Chief of Campus Security John Hanna, who was in the crowd, was acting as passive and possible, turning his back whenever a flurry of violence broke out. I asked him what he intended to do about the violence. His reply was that he had seen no violence. 
     Going into the Union (through the north entrance) to warm myself. I called the Iowa City Police Department, identified myself as a newspaper reporter and asked if city police would be dispersed to the scene. " It looks like thing might get out of hand here" I told the desk sergeant. He told me that the city police were already on the scene " in force". This was not true, unless they were all plainclothes men. I had seen no uniformed city police up to that time. 
   Things quieted down considerably for a period of almost two hours, when it was disclosed that the marines had gone out to lunch. 

Many Remain
    Many of the demonstrators took time out to go into the Union and have coffee. Sandwiches were brought back to many more of the demonstrators who remained in their positions. 
   When the activity resumed in full force around 1 p.m things began to get ugly. Perhaps 150 demonstrators were on the stairs with another 50 or so directly in front of the stairs, milling around. And milling around with them and all around the front of the Union, were close to 1,000 hecklers and spectators. The campus police, with the exception of the unobservant Mr. Hanna were still locked up in the Union behind us. And the city police were still nowhere in sight.
    Attempts to rush the demonstrators' line of defense by a vanguard group of hecklers despite the please of Dean of Academic Affairs Phillip G. Hubbard and Vice Pres. and Dean Williard L. Boyd, were brought to a head by the appearance of State Sen. Tom Riley, Republican of Cedar Rapids. Riley at first told the hecklers that he was on their side, but that order should be maintained. Later, however he urged the hecklers to "go get 'em".

Citizen's Arrest Made
 I saw Riley attempt to make a citizen's arrest on one demonstrator in a front rank, and drag the youth by the leg across the street. The youth whose head was bumping against the pavement, seemed to lose consciousness. 
  A small group of demonstrators rallied rallied around the youth and made a citizen's arrest themselves on Riley, who walked with them to police headquarters where charges of disturbing the peace were later files against him. He was later released on his own recognizance.
   The scene in front of the Union became uglier and uglier, with repeated rushes by the hecklers against our lines. Many of the demonstrators were injured in these clashes but since no resistance other than linking arms to stop the rush was offered by the demonstrators, none of the hecklers that I could see were hurt. They seemed to be having a grand old time and comments such as " the fun is just beginning" could plainly be heard. 

Dean Escorts Youth 
 During a dramatic moment, Dean Boyd after making a plea to us, escorted a youth who wanted to see the marines through our lines to the door. The door was still locked, however and while Boyd retreated to the foot of the steps, the youth was left amidst us. He managed to work his way through the tightly packed bodies just in time to avoid the arrests while soon followed. 
  Boyd had given us an ultimatum: disperse or clear a path providing " free access" to the Union, or face arrest. Since free access has denied to us, we decided that Boyd's ultimatum was unreasonable and voted to stay where we were. 
   A few minutes later, the police arrived. They came marching over 50 strong, decked out in black leather jackets, riot helmets and menacing looking billyclubs, out from the alley alongside the parking ramp. Their appearance, quite military and smart looking was thrilling in a way - it seemed like a scene from some exciting blood and guts grade B movie. But these cops were real. The hecklers let out a cheer upon spotting them and scattered out of the way. 

Police Begin Arrests
  The grim-faced police - their ensignia identified them as Iowa City police (finally) and as state police and sheriff's offices from Johnson. Linn, Cedar and Washington counties. As they began forming a cordon to keep the hecklers back we couldn't help but feel important. 
   The police while a bit brusque, were nicer than police I have encountered in over seven years of participating in protest demonstrations and over four years of covering them as a newsman - on both coasts, Chicago and Washington, not to mention the South. They gave us two minutes to disperse ( several of the demonstrators who couldn't afford to be arrested for one reason or another did leave) and then began the lengthy ordeal of arrest. Many of the demonstrators went limp and were dragged away: many others walked side by side with the police officers. No actual resistence was offered and I don't think any injuries were suffered by demonstrators or policemen - a rare occurance in mass arrests. 

Three Buses Filled
  Our backs were marked with chalk ( a practice unfamiliar to me and still unexplained) and we were, after a few minuted wait in the rain, loaded onto buses and taken to the city jail. We filled two and a half buses and we were proud of that.
   We hadn't accomplished what we had set out to do - many people did get through our lines to see the Marines - but we felt that we had made out point. We had forced the publicity-conscious University into doing something they hadn't wanted to do - arrest us - and we had kept to police of Eastern Iowa busy for an afternoon. And we had made a great any people aware of what we were doing and why. 
   We had resisted - and believed we had done it well.

Saving...

[handwritten] 11/2/67 Peace Keeper Started Day With Trouble By TED HENRY John Evenden, A2 Granite City, Ill. who stands 6 feet 3 inches, began Wednesday as a leader of the counter-demonstrators and later emerged as one of those trying to prevent violence. About 10 a.m. Evenden and four or five others went over the heads of the arm-locked demonstrators who were blocking the entrance to the Union East Lobby. An hour later, however, Evenden was helping to keep counter-demonstrators off the stairs. He told the onlookers that the Marine recruiters has gone for lunch and there was no reason to try and break through the ranks of the demonstrators. Evenden said that the recruiters were scheduled to return to the Union at 1 p.m. and that who wanted to get past the demonstrators. But Evenden also emphasized that he would aid only those persons who agreed to a strict code of non-violence. Evenden said he had agreed with the demonstrators that they would not resist those people who would remove their shoes and climb over their heads. Evenden insisted that his presence at the demonstration had nothing to do with the Vietnamese war. He said anyone had the right to see a Marine recruiter, but violence was not the right way to assert that right. At about 12:30 p.m. Evenden told the counter-demonstrators that the police were coming to maintain order. He added, " If you (counter demonstrators) want violence come to me first and I'll give it to you." Success Of Protest 'Difficult To Evaluate' By JAN TEAGUE The demonstration against the marine recruiters is "difficult to evaluate" in terms of its success. Everett Frost, G. chairman of Students for Democratic Society (SDS) said Wednesday night. SDS and the Draft Resisters' Union (DRU) sponsored the protest. The demonstration encouraged people on campus who were against the Vietnamese war to take part in the protest. Frost said. These people gave bail money to the demonstrators who were arrested. " The demonstration also showed what other demonstrations all over the United States had shown," Frost said. " They're futile" " I personally think the majority of the American people are against the Vietnamese War and the U.S. power structure should realize it," Frost said. Wednesday's demonstration was to have been non-violent. The demonstrators had planned to sit in front of the Union, but rain prevented it. Frost said all demonstrators agreed beforehand that no force would be used. " Just about all the demonstrators stuck to the non-violent agreement," Frost said. "The hecklers in the crowd started the violence." Demonstrations planned for today and Friday will be non-violent, Frost said. " If a demonstrator acts up, we will either hold him down or ask him to leave" Intensified Violence Begins, Police Retreat Unto Union. Continued From Page 1 canopy. This resulted in more minor injuries on the part of the demonstrators - who remained non-violent throughout the day, by the way - and a lot of shouting and roughhousing on the part of the hecklers. Intensified violence began at about this point, with hecklers pulling demonstrators in the ranks out of line and beating them. I saw one youth dragged into the street, knocked to the ground and kicked several times in the stomach and around the head. A female demonstrator was punched in the face. The screams of the hecklers became increasingly brutal, obscene and mindless. At this point the campus police chose to retreat into the Union, locking the door behind them, and leaving the beleaguered demonstrators helpless. A pane of glass in the door was broken accidentally by an officer and no attempt was made to clean up the potentially dangerous broken glass. Several of the demonstrators later cleaned it up. Hanna Turns Head Around 11 a.m. I disengaged myself from the demonstration and wandered among the crowd of hecklers - now numbering several hundred, males and females - listening and watching Chief of Campus Security John Hanna, who was in the crowd, was acting as passive and possible, turning his back whenever a flurry of violence broke out. I asked him what he intended to do about the violence. His reply was that he had seen no violence. Going into the Union (through the north entrance) to warm myself. I called the Iowa City Police Department, identified myself as a newspaper reporter and asked if city police would be dispersed to the scene. " It looks like thing might get out of hand here" I told the desk sergeant. He told me that the city police were already on the scene " in force". This was not true, unless they were all plainclothes men. I had seen no uniformed city police up to that time. Things quieted down considerably for a period of almost two hours, when it was disclosed that the marines had gone out to lunch. Many Remain Many of the demonstrators took time out to go into the Union and have coffee. Sandwiches were brought back to many more of the demonstrators who remained in their positions. When the activity resumed in full force around 1 p.m things began to get ugly. Perhaps 150 demonstrators were on the stairs with another 50 or so directly in front of the stairs, milling around. And milling around with them and all around the front of the Union, were close to 1,000 hecklers and spectators. The campus police, with the exception of the unobservant Mr. Hanna were still locked up in the Union behind us. And the city police were still nowhere in sight. Attempts to rush the demonstrators' line of defense by a vanguard group of hecklers despite the please of Dean of Academic Affairs Phillip G. Hubbard and Vice Pres. and Dean Williard L. Boyd, were brought to a head by the appearance of State Sen. Tom Riley, Republican of Cedar Rapids. Riley at first told the hecklers that he was on their side, but that order should be maintained. Later, however he urged the hecklers to "go get 'em". Citizen's Arrest Made I saw Riley attempt to make a citizen's arrest on one demonstrator in a front rank, and drag the youth by the leg across the street. The youth whose head was bumping against the pavement, seemed to lose consciousness. A small group of demonstrators rallied rallied around the youth and made a citizen's arrest themselves on Riley, who walked with them to police headquarters where charges of disturbing the peace were later files against him. He was later released on his own recognizance. The scene in front of the Union became uglier and uglier, with repeated rushes by the hecklers against our lines. Many of the demonstrators were injured in these clashes but since no resistance other than linking arms to stop the rush was offered by the demonstrators, none of the hecklers that I could see were hurt. They seemed to be having a grand old time and comments such as " the fun is just beginning" could plainly be heard. Dean Escorts Youth During a dramatic moment, Dean Boyd after making a plea to us, escorted a youth who wanted to see the marines through our lines to the door. The door was still locked, however and while Boyd retreated to the foot of the steps, the youth was left amidst us. He managed to work his way through the tightly packed bodies just in time to avoid the arrests while soon followed. Boyd had given us an ultimatum: disperse or clear a path providing " free access" to the Union, or face arrest. Since free access has denied to us, we decided that Boyd's ultimatum was unreasonable and voted to stay where we were. A few minutes later, the police arrived. They came marching over 50 strong, decked out in black leather jackets, riot helmets and menacing looking billyclubs, out from the alley alongside the parking ramp. Their appearance, quite military and smart looking was thrilling in a way - it seemed like a scene from some exciting blood and guts grade B movie. But these cops were real. The hecklers let out a cheer upon spotting them and scattered out of the way. Police Begin Arrests The grim-faced police - their ensignia identified them as Iowa City police (finally) and as state police and sheriff's offices from Johnson. Linn, Cedar and Washington counties. As they began forming a cordon to keep the hecklers back we couldn't help but feel important. The police while a bit brusque, were nicer than police I have encountered in over seven years of participating in protest demonstrations and over four years of covering them as a newsman - on both coasts, Chicago and Washington, not to mention the South. They gave us two minutes to disperse ( several of the demonstrators who couldn't afford to be arrested for one reason or another did leave) and then began the lengthy ordeal of arrest. Many of the demonstrators went limp and were dragged away: many others walked side by side with the police officers. No actual resistence was offered and I don't think any injuries were suffered by demonstrators or policemen - a rare occurance in mass arrests. Three Buses Filled Our backs were marked with chalk ( a practice unfamiliar to me and still unexplained) and we were, after a few minuted wait in the rain, loaded onto buses and taken to the city jail. We filled two and a half buses and we were proud of that. We hadn't accomplished what we had set out to do - many people did get through our lines to see the Marines - but we felt that we had made out point. We had forced the publicity-conscious University into doing something they hadn't wanted to do - arrest us - and we had kept to police of Eastern Iowa busy for an afternoon. And we had made a great any people aware of what we were doing and why. We had resisted - and believed we had done it well.