DIY History | Transcribe | Campus Culture | Student protests, May-December 1971 | 1971-05-12 Des Moines Register Articles: ""Patrol Sent To Iowa City After Clash"" ""Residents of Dorms Seek Hiding Place"" Page 1

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Student protests, May-December 1971

1971-05-12 Des Moines Register Articles: ""Patrol Sent To Iowa City After Clash"" ""Residents of Dorms Seek Hiding Place"" Page 1

p.1 (of 3)

DMR 5/12/71

Patrol Sent To Iowa City After Clash

By Larry Eckholt 
(Register Staff Writer)

IOWA CITY - IA. - Iowa highway patrolmen began patrolling the University of Iowa campus and downtown streets here Tuesday night after early morning confrontations between local lawmen and hundreds of U of I students in which many students were routed from their dormitory rooms by tear gas.
Some 200 patrolmen set up headquarters at a nearby Coralville motel after Gov. Robert Ray ordered the patrol to supervise law enforcement operations on the campus. 
Circle Pentacrest
Highway patrol cars circled the Pentacrest area throughout the evening. By 9 p.m. no officers were on foot. 
About 8;30 p.m. a small group of persons began milling about on the Pentacrest. An hour later, an Iowa City police squad car cruised by the Pentacrest and an officer called out over a loudspeaker, "You people move out or you will be arrested."
The crowd of about 40 dispersed except for one young man sitting on the grass. He was grabbed by two of the officers and taken to the squad car. One of the officers pointed to a nearby television cameraman and said, "You put that light out and don't you put it on again."
Ray's directive followed another night of rock-and-bottle throwing by antiwar demon

IOWA CITY - 
Please turn to Page Three

Residents of Dorms Seek Hiding Place
IOWA CITY --
Continued from Page One

strators who taunted weary law enforcement officers nearly five hours late Monday and early Tuesday morning. 
Law officers retaliated by using tear gas to clear a crowd of about 300 milling about in the men's dormitory complex.
Police chased some protesters into dormitories and then spread tear gas on first-level lounges in at least three residence halls. 
The police action had been criticized strongly by U of I student leaders and the Faculty Senate. 
The senate issued a statement Tuesday which called for "a full and impartial investigation and report to the senate for further action."
Student Body President ted Politis, a junior from Ames, issued a statement which said the tear-gassing of the dormitories was "a totally irresponsible action by the police. The quantity of gas used and the way in which it was used can only be considered as overreaction."
In a letter to all U of I students, Politis and other student leaders called upon all students "to decide for yourself if you favor violent confrontations."
"No one can make that decision for you," the statement read. "All we ask is that you think before you act, and consider all the possible consequences of your actions."
In announcing at a Tuesday press conference that the highway patrolmen would be sent to Iowa City, Governor Ray said the patrolmen "have demonstrated their ability to prevent injury and destruction in the past. They are highly trained, skilled and disciplined in handling difficult situations. They have also earned the reputation of having good rapport with our young people."
Governor Ray said that he was sure that the majority of U of I students "wish to go to school and to acquire an education and are just as concerned and disturbed by the actions of these (demonstrators) who endanger lives as I am"
In response to a question about calling the National Guard into Iowa City, the governor said that "we believe that highway patrolmen can handle the situation."
University officials said Tuesday that the four men's residence halls where the disorders took place sustained an estimated $1,000 damage. Some windows were broken screens pushed out and furniture damaged. 
Politis, in his statement asked students to assess the amount of damage to personal property which may have been inflicted by police. "We will demand that these damages be repaid by the city council in full." Politis said.
The Iowa Civil Liberties Union (ICLU) announced Tuesday that it would have eight observers in Iowa City to report on activities of demonstrators and law enforcement officers. 
Mrs. Louise Noun of Des Moines. ICLU state chairman, said that it is hoped that the knowledge that trained observers are on the scene "will help produce a calmer atmosphere at Iowa City and that there will be less likelihood of any trouble on the university campus or the streets of the city."
Some students claimed officers overreacted to Monday night's taunts and name-calling. 
Robert Valentine, 22, of Fairfax, Va.,, who lives in Hillcrest Dormitory, said:
" When they shot tear gas inside, it just turned everyone against police. 
"People you wouldn't believe would pick up a stone, and they were throwing rocks and bottles at the police."
Iowa City Police Chief Patrick J. McCarney Tuesday called the outbreaks "nothing but mob violence.
"You wouldn't believe something like this could happen in this America. in this little Iowa city."
He denied officers overreacted to the incidents. 
Police said officers were pelted with bottles and other missiles -which still littered the streets around the dormitories later Tuesday - and were called "pigs" and obscene names by students shouting from the dorms. 
The latest outbreak came after student radicals spent much of Monday attempting to gain the support of the general student body to protest the war in Indochina. 
Before the night was over, hundreds of students had been involved. Many apparently were not in earlier demonstrations but reacted after tear gas was fired into the dormitories.
Club swinging officers followed students into their residence halls after chasing them off the streets. 
Faced with rifle-toting officers on the outside and tear-gas filled rooms on the inside,many young men rushed from floor to floor seeking a safe place to hide. 
Pandemonium broke out in Rienow and Rienow II - the U of I high-rise dormitories - and at the Quadrangle and Hillcrest dormitories, when officers stationed themselves in the lounges. 
In all, 39 persons were arrested in disturbances that began in downtown Iowa City at 11 p.m. Police at the time used tear gas to clear the streets and the U of I campus after about 350 persons marched to the campus securi

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p.1 (of 3) DMR 5/12/71 Patrol Sent To Iowa City After Clash By Larry Eckholt (Register Staff Writer) IOWA CITY - IA. - Iowa highway patrolmen began patrolling the University of Iowa campus and downtown streets here Tuesday night after early morning confrontations between local lawmen and hundreds of U of I students in which many students were routed from their dormitory rooms by tear gas. Some 200 patrolmen set up headquarters at a nearby Coralville motel after Gov. Robert Ray ordered the patrol to supervise law enforcement operations on the campus. Circle Pentacrest Highway patrol cars circled the Pentacrest area throughout the evening. By 9 p.m. no officers were on foot. About 8;30 p.m. a small group of persons began milling about on the Pentacrest. An hour later, an Iowa City police squad car cruised by the Pentacrest and an officer called out over a loudspeaker, "You people move out or you will be arrested." The crowd of about 40 dispersed except for one young man sitting on the grass. He was grabbed by two of the officers and taken to the squad car. One of the officers pointed to a nearby television cameraman and said, "You put that light out and don't you put it on again." Ray's directive followed another night of rock-and-bottle throwing by antiwar demon IOWA CITY - Please turn to Page Three Residents of Dorms Seek Hiding Place IOWA CITY -- Continued from Page One strators who taunted weary law enforcement officers nearly five hours late Monday and early Tuesday morning. Law officers retaliated by using tear gas to clear a crowd of about 300 milling about in the men's dormitory complex. Police chased some protesters into dormitories and then spread tear gas on first-level lounges in at least three residence halls. The police action had been criticized strongly by U of I student leaders and the Faculty Senate. The senate issued a statement Tuesday which called for "a full and impartial investigation and report to the senate for further action." Student Body President ted Politis, a junior from Ames, issued a statement which said the tear-gassing of the dormitories was "a totally irresponsible action by the police. The quantity of gas used and the way in which it was used can only be considered as overreaction." In a letter to all U of I students, Politis and other student leaders called upon all students "to decide for yourself if you favor violent confrontations." "No one can make that decision for you," the statement read. "All we ask is that you think before you act, and consider all the possible consequences of your actions." In announcing at a Tuesday press conference that the highway patrolmen would be sent to Iowa City, Governor Ray said the patrolmen "have demonstrated their ability to prevent injury and destruction in the past. They are highly trained, skilled and disciplined in handling difficult situations. They have also earned the reputation of having good rapport with our young people." Governor Ray said that he was sure that the majority of U of I students "wish to go to school and to acquire an education and are just as concerned and disturbed by the actions of these (demonstrators) who endanger lives as I am" In response to a question about calling the National Guard into Iowa City, the governor said that "we believe that highway patrolmen can handle the situation." University officials said Tuesday that the four men's residence halls where the disorders took place sustained an estimated $1,000 damage. Some windows were broken screens pushed out and furniture damaged. Politis, in his statement asked students to assess the amount of damage to personal property which may have been inflicted by police. "We will demand that these damages be repaid by the city council in full." Politis said. The Iowa Civil Liberties Union (ICLU) announced Tuesday that it would have eight observers in Iowa City to report on activities of demonstrators and law enforcement officers. Mrs. Louise Noun of Des Moines. ICLU state chairman, said that it is hoped that the knowledge that trained observers are on the scene "will help produce a calmer atmosphere at Iowa City and that there will be less likelihood of any trouble on the university campus or the streets of the city." Some students claimed officers overreacted to Monday night's taunts and name-calling. Robert Valentine, 22, of Fairfax, Va.,, who lives in Hillcrest Dormitory, said: " When they shot tear gas inside, it just turned everyone against police. "People you wouldn't believe would pick up a stone, and they were throwing rocks and bottles at the police." Iowa City Police Chief Patrick J. McCarney Tuesday called the outbreaks "nothing but mob violence. "You wouldn't believe something like this could happen in this America. in this little Iowa city." He denied officers overreacted to the incidents. Police said officers were pelted with bottles and other missiles -which still littered the streets around the dormitories later Tuesday - and were called "pigs" and obscene names by students shouting from the dorms. The latest outbreak came after student radicals spent much of Monday attempting to gain the support of the general student body to protest the war in Indochina. Before the night was over, hundreds of students had been involved. Many apparently were not in earlier demonstrations but reacted after tear gas was fired into the dormitories. Club swinging officers followed students into their residence halls after chasing them off the streets. Faced with rifle-toting officers on the outside and tear-gas filled rooms on the inside,many young men rushed from floor to floor seeking a safe place to hide. Pandemonium broke out in Rienow and Rienow II - the U of I high-rise dormitories - and at the Quadrangle and Hillcrest dormitories, when officers stationed themselves in the lounges. In all, 39 persons were arrested in disturbances that began in downtown Iowa City at 11 p.m. Police at the time used tear gas to clear the streets and the U of I campus after about 350 persons marched to the campus securi