DIY History | Transcribe | Social Justice | University of Iowa anti-war protests, 1970 | ""Iowa '70: Riot, Rhetoric, Responsibility?"" Page 24

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University of Iowa anti-war protests, 1970

""Iowa '70: Riot, Rhetoric, Responsibility?"" Page 24

Monitors Keep it Cool
20
The disruptions at the University of Iowa this year could potentially have been worse but for the actions of a concerned group of students.
At the beginning confrontations these students placed themselves between other students and law officers and officials attempting to calm both and keep the situation from getting out of hand. These students formed a group called monitors and as Kerry DeYarman A-1, Cedar Rapids says, we try to "put control where there is no control at all." These students have worked long hours, (DeYarman worked 20 hours straight through, the day he joined the monitors) and put themselves in danger from both the violent radicals and the law. Why do they do this?
Bill Schmidt, a graduate from Ottumwa organized the monitors to prevent potential violence. Roger Weingarten a campus leader in both the monitors and the T-A strike, is one because he believes in non-violent demonstrations. Others joined by chance. DeYarman became a monitor the first Tuesday night when students went to the streets to block traffic. He helped to hold students back and attempted to add a little calm to the situation, while other monitors directed traffic around the blocked streets.
DeYarman did not feel that it was the right time for a confrontation between police and students so he wanted to help to prevent one.
The monitors' actions range from crowd control to rumor research to shadowing people who are potential trouble makers. There were over a hundredpeople working for them, many forming a motorcycle brigade which could quickly act to trace rumors and check their validity. The group worked closely with highway patrolmen at Ramada Inn and with Universityadministration to keep the situation in perspective. The original office at Campus Ministry and then at Center East was continually manned with people taking four hour shifts on work one day and then four hour shifts on call the next. This changed from the first few days when shifts went sometimes 18-20 hours long.
Some monitors acted as shadows or tails on people both right and left in political outlook who had treatened violence. This included some townspeople who threatened to retaliate for student actions. By tailing they could possibly prevent violence from ever happening. Other monitor work behind the scenes was to conduct clean-up campaigns after mass rallies, and to keep people moving and into positions where all could see at mass rallies in the Union Main Lounge. They set up a first aid station and provided help in case of injuries during demonstrations.
Other monitors, Roger Weingarten for one, were at conferences with the Chamber of Commerce in attempts to set up a line of communciation in order to prevent new violence such as the window smashing of Monday night. They also worked in conjunction with but were enot affiliated with the Central Strike Committee.
DeYarman said a monitor's main responsibility was to think. "They must keep level heads where others are being ruled by the mob. These actions can be effective in both large and small ways."
They worked to represent the majority on campus who wanted a peaceful demonstration, keeping violence to a minimum. 
They served many purposes but the fact that they as students worked to protect and preserve and yet promote change seems their greatest accomplishment.

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Monitors Keep it Cool 20 The disruptions at the University of Iowa this year could potentially have been worse but for the actions of a concerned group of students. At the beginning confrontations these students placed themselves between other students and law officers and officials attempting to calm both and keep the situation from getting out of hand. These students formed a group called monitors and as Kerry DeYarman A-1, Cedar Rapids says, we try to "put control where there is no control at all." These students have worked long hours, (DeYarman worked 20 hours straight through, the day he joined the monitors) and put themselves in danger from both the violent radicals and the law. Why do they do this? Bill Schmidt, a graduate from Ottumwa organized the monitors to prevent potential violence. Roger Weingarten a campus leader in both the monitors and the T-A strike, is one because he believes in non-violent demonstrations. Others joined by chance. DeYarman became a monitor the first Tuesday night when students went to the streets to block traffic. He helped to hold students back and attempted to add a little calm to the situation, while other monitors directed traffic around the blocked streets. DeYarman did not feel that it was the right time for a confrontation between police and students so he wanted to help to prevent one. The monitors' actions range from crowd control to rumor research to shadowing people who are potential trouble makers. There were over a hundredpeople working for them, many forming a motorcycle brigade which could quickly act to trace rumors and check their validity. The group worked closely with highway patrolmen at Ramada Inn and with Universityadministration to keep the situation in perspective. The original office at Campus Ministry and then at Center East was continually manned with people taking four hour shifts on work one day and then four hour shifts on call the next. This changed from the first few days when shifts went sometimes 18-20 hours long. Some monitors acted as shadows or tails on people both right and left in political outlook who had treatened violence. This included some townspeople who threatened to retaliate for student actions. By tailing they could possibly prevent violence from ever happening. Other monitor work behind the scenes was to conduct clean-up campaigns after mass rallies, and to keep people moving and into positions where all could see at mass rallies in the Union Main Lounge. They set up a first aid station and provided help in case of injuries during demonstrations. Other monitors, Roger Weingarten for one, were at conferences with the Chamber of Commerce in attempts to set up a line of communciation in order to prevent new violence such as the window smashing of Monday night. They also worked in conjunction with but were enot affiliated with the Central Strike Committee. DeYarman said a monitor's main responsibility was to think. "They must keep level heads where others are being ruled by the mob. These actions can be effective in both large and small ways." They worked to represent the majority on campus who wanted a peaceful demonstration, keeping violence to a minimum. They served many purposes but the fact that they as students worked to protect and preserve and yet promote change seems their greatest accomplishment.