DIY History | Transcribe | Campus Culture | Student protests, May-December 1971 | 1971-05-07 Iowa City Press-Citizen Article: ""Bomb Blast Damages Iowa City Civic Center"" Page 1

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Student protests, May-December 1971

1971-05-07 Iowa City Press-Citizen Article: ""Bomb Blast Damages Iowa City Civic Center"" Page 1

P-C 1(of 4)
May 7, 1971

IOWA CITY PRESS
2 SECTIONS - SECTION A          IOWA CITY, IOWA, FRIDAY, MAY 7

Bomb Blast Damages Iowa

'Bystanders, Stay Away'

Iowa City Mayor Loren Hickerson issued the following statement this morning:
     "Students, university members and townspeople are all aware of that the radical core of the current demonstrations here are small in numbers, But when trouble starts, the radicals are quickly shielded from exposure by curious rock-throwing and other violent acts, and increasing the problem for both law enforcement officials and crowd monitors.
     "Built into human inclination to join the crowd is the certainty of confusion and the risk of arrests of innocent observers who are mistaken for activists. Both the confusion and the arrest of innocents are classic objectives of radicalism. Any rock-thrower is delighted with suck cooperation from the uninvolved.

     "Innocent bystanders, whether students of townspeople, can help enormously to prevent trouble (and to help curb it quickly when it occurs) simply by staying well away from any scene of group lawlessness--street-blocking, rock tossing, etc. The individual's "right to be there" is tempered by his obligation to help isolate any threat of group violence on the campus or in Iowa City. Our common stake in that objective is very great.
     "In the events of this week the tireless work of monitors (most of them students) has been tremendous and inspiring. The monitors have risked harm to themselves to help prevent harm to other individuals and to property.
     "The greatest tribute we could pay the monitors is to lighten their load by keeping a clear-cut distance from any future center of threatened trouble."

Follows Second Night of Disorder
By MARK F. ROHNER of the Press-Citizen

     A bomb explosion blew a hole in the foundation of the Civic Center early today, two hours after police quelled the second night of disorder in downtown Iowa City.
     The bomb, as powerful as two to three sticks of dynamite, according to police, was placed near the front of the City Council Chamber. It shattered 15 plate glass windows, tore a 12-square-foot hole through a

More Photos on Pages 2A, 2A

basement wall and damaged a small air conditioner. No one was injured.
     Meanwhile, Johnson County Sheriff Maynard Schneider came in for criticism this morning for his decision to lead deputies in a charge to turn back a crowd marching on the Courthouse late Thursday.
     City Manager Frank R. Smiley said the sheriff had not conferred with other law enforcement officials before moving his deputies out against the crowd of marchers on Clinton Street.
     Schneider later ignored pleas from Police Chief Patrick J. McCarney and student monitors to move his men back from the Pentacrest area.
     City Atty. Jay Honohan reportedly discussed with McCarney the possibility of arresting the sheriff to remove him from the scene.
     "I hear there was some discussion of that." Smiley said.

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P-C 1(of 4) May 7, 1971 IOWA CITY PRESS 2 SECTIONS - SECTION A IOWA CITY, IOWA, FRIDAY, MAY 7 Bomb Blast Damages Iowa 'Bystanders, Stay Away' Iowa City Mayor Loren Hickerson issued the following statement this morning: "Students, university members and townspeople are all aware of that the radical core of the current demonstrations here are small in numbers, But when trouble starts, the radicals are quickly shielded from exposure by curious rock-throwing and other violent acts, and increasing the problem for both law enforcement officials and crowd monitors. "Built into human inclination to join the crowd is the certainty of confusion and the risk of arrests of innocent observers who are mistaken for activists. Both the confusion and the arrest of innocents are classic objectives of radicalism. Any rock-thrower is delighted with suck cooperation from the uninvolved. "Innocent bystanders, whether students of townspeople, can help enormously to prevent trouble (and to help curb it quickly when it occurs) simply by staying well away from any scene of group lawlessness--street-blocking, rock tossing, etc. The individual's "right to be there" is tempered by his obligation to help isolate any threat of group violence on the campus or in Iowa City. Our common stake in that objective is very great. "In the events of this week the tireless work of monitors (most of them students) has been tremendous and inspiring. The monitors have risked harm to themselves to help prevent harm to other individuals and to property. "The greatest tribute we could pay the monitors is to lighten their load by keeping a clear-cut distance from any future center of threatened trouble." Follows Second Night of Disorder By MARK F. ROHNER of the Press-Citizen A bomb explosion blew a hole in the foundation of the Civic Center early today, two hours after police quelled the second night of disorder in downtown Iowa City. The bomb, as powerful as two to three sticks of dynamite, according to police, was placed near the front of the City Council Chamber. It shattered 15 plate glass windows, tore a 12-square-foot hole through a More Photos on Pages 2A, 2A basement wall and damaged a small air conditioner. No one was injured. Meanwhile, Johnson County Sheriff Maynard Schneider came in for criticism this morning for his decision to lead deputies in a charge to turn back a crowd marching on the Courthouse late Thursday. City Manager Frank R. Smiley said the sheriff had not conferred with other law enforcement officials before moving his deputies out against the crowd of marchers on Clinton Street. Schneider later ignored pleas from Police Chief Patrick J. McCarney and student monitors to move his men back from the Pentacrest area. City Atty. Jay Honohan reportedly discussed with McCarney the possibility of arresting the sheriff to remove him from the scene. "I hear there was some discussion of that." Smiley said.