DIY History | Transcribe | Campus Culture | University of Iowa anti-war protests, January-April 1971 | 1971-02-12 Des Moines Register Article: ""ROTC Office In Iowa City Is Ransacked"" Page 2

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University of Iowa anti-war protests, January-April 1971

1971-02-12 Des Moines Register Article: ""ROTC Office In Iowa City Is Ransacked"" Page 2

DMR—2/12/71
p. 2 (of 2)
Name-Calling Exchange Near Dorms, Then Downtown March
ROTC---
Continued from Page One

about a dozen university security officers were on duty inside.
Plans Announced
Plans to demonstrate at the Pershing Rifles drill had been announced at an anti-war rally Wednesday night.
University officials, however, were apparently unprepared for the assault on ROTC offices at the Fieldhouse, and the demonstrators found the building open and unguarded.
Army Capt. Larry Jackson, who was working in the ROTC office, said he had stepped out of the room for a few minutes when the youths entered the office.
"I really didn't think they would come in and bust up an office," said Captain Jackson. "They accomplished really nothing by doing this. The taxpayers will have to pay for the desks, that's about all."
The Army ROTC commander, Col. Robert Kubby, termed the series of incidents "a typical paranoid day—I don't know whether it means anything."
Carrying an ROTC sign as a trophy and passing around the medals taken from the ROTC offices, the group marched to the Quadrangle men's dormitory.
Wears Flag
In the Quadrangle courtyard, one student who had been wearing an American flag as a cape, took it off and with the aid of other cheering demonstrators, set the flag afire.
Fire alarms were set off in Quadrangle and nearby Hillcrest dormitory, sending more than 1,000 male students pouring out of their rooms.
One person was arrested at the Quadrangle and charged with disorderly conduct and assault and battery. He reportedly was caught pulling a fire alarm by a head resident student (student overseer( in the dormitory.
As students from Quadrangle and Hillcrest dorms milled around outside the buildings, the demonstrators called on them to join the march, but few responded.
"Commies," "pinkos," "dirty hippies," some dormitory residents jeered at the demonstrators.
"Red necks," the demosntrators yelled back, exchanging occasional snowballs with the dorm residents
ABout 75 of the demonstrators regrouped in the Iowa Memorial Union about 8:30 p.m., then headed for downtown Iowa City and the Johnson County Draft Board office.
They found an iron gate barring the stairway to the draft board office on the second floor of the Post Office, and were routed from the Post Office lobby itself by four Iowa City policemen.
From the Post Office the dwindling group marched down Linn Street, breaking windows from the Armed Forces Recruiting Center as they passed.
A few demonstrators posed for cameramen on steps of the Old Capitol building. Others drifted into the Memorial Union as the demonstration broke up about 9:30 p.m.
An earlier, peaceful demonstration in Iowa City Thursday was aimed at a Bank of America recruiter. About 40 persons marched around the Memorial Union, where the recruiter was working, to denounce Bank of America as "an asset for imperialist warmkers, a liability to the people of the world."

War Protest To Regents
By a Staff Writer
IOWA CITY, IA.—Eight University of Iowa students, protesting the Laos invasion, confronted the State Board of Regents here Thursday and demanded that the U of I "end its complicity with the war."
The group, led by Bo Beller, student body president, made an unscheduled appearance at the regents' meeting here to present a statement insisting the "U.S. get out of Indochina now" and that "ROTC, war research and war recruiters" be abolished from the U of I campus.
Beller told the board the statement was from 500 students. The regents and the students talked for about 10 minutes, came to no agreement and the students left.
Regent Donald Shaw, Davenport, said the board studied ROTC programs on the state university campuses last year and made a few changes, but found overwhelming public support for the programs.
Referring to the war demands, Shaw told the students, "It seems to me your petition addresses itself to problems that are beyond the scope of this board."
The students argued that the board does have authority to end military recruitment and training programs on the U of I campus.
"The people of the state have set up these universities," replied Shaw, "and I think we have no other choice than to continue them as they already are."
"If that serves the military," added Shaw, "then so be it."

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DMR—2/12/71 p. 2 (of 2) Name-Calling Exchange Near Dorms, Then Downtown March ROTC--- Continued from Page One about a dozen university security officers were on duty inside. Plans Announced Plans to demonstrate at the Pershing Rifles drill had been announced at an anti-war rally Wednesday night. University officials, however, were apparently unprepared for the assault on ROTC offices at the Fieldhouse, and the demonstrators found the building open and unguarded. Army Capt. Larry Jackson, who was working in the ROTC office, said he had stepped out of the room for a few minutes when the youths entered the office. "I really didn't think they would come in and bust up an office," said Captain Jackson. "They accomplished really nothing by doing this. The taxpayers will have to pay for the desks, that's about all." The Army ROTC commander, Col. Robert Kubby, termed the series of incidents "a typical paranoid day—I don't know whether it means anything." Carrying an ROTC sign as a trophy and passing around the medals taken from the ROTC offices, the group marched to the Quadrangle men's dormitory. Wears Flag In the Quadrangle courtyard, one student who had been wearing an American flag as a cape, took it off and with the aid of other cheering demonstrators, set the flag afire. Fire alarms were set off in Quadrangle and nearby Hillcrest dormitory, sending more than 1,000 male students pouring out of their rooms. One person was arrested at the Quadrangle and charged with disorderly conduct and assault and battery. He reportedly was caught pulling a fire alarm by a head resident student (student overseer( in the dormitory. As students from Quadrangle and Hillcrest dorms milled around outside the buildings, the demonstrators called on them to join the march, but few responded. "Commies," "pinkos," "dirty hippies," some dormitory residents jeered at the demonstrators. "Red necks," the demosntrators yelled back, exchanging occasional snowballs with the dorm residents ABout 75 of the demonstrators regrouped in the Iowa Memorial Union about 8:30 p.m., then headed for downtown Iowa City and the Johnson County Draft Board office. They found an iron gate barring the stairway to the draft board office on the second floor of the Post Office, and were routed from the Post Office lobby itself by four Iowa City policemen. From the Post Office the dwindling group marched down Linn Street, breaking windows from the Armed Forces Recruiting Center as they passed. A few demonstrators posed for cameramen on steps of the Old Capitol building. Others drifted into the Memorial Union as the demonstration broke up about 9:30 p.m. An earlier, peaceful demonstration in Iowa City Thursday was aimed at a Bank of America recruiter. About 40 persons marched around the Memorial Union, where the recruiter was working, to denounce Bank of America as "an asset for imperialist warmkers, a liability to the people of the world." War Protest To Regents By a Staff Writer IOWA CITY, IA.—Eight University of Iowa students, protesting the Laos invasion, confronted the State Board of Regents here Thursday and demanded that the U of I "end its complicity with the war." The group, led by Bo Beller, student body president, made an unscheduled appearance at the regents' meeting here to present a statement insisting the "U.S. get out of Indochina now" and that "ROTC, war research and war recruiters" be abolished from the U of I campus. Beller told the board the statement was from 500 students. The regents and the students talked for about 10 minutes, came to no agreement and the students left. Regent Donald Shaw, Davenport, said the board studied ROTC programs on the state university campuses last year and made a few changes, but found overwhelming public support for the programs. Referring to the war demands, Shaw told the students, "It seems to me your petition addresses itself to problems that are beyond the scope of this board." The students argued that the board does have authority to end military recruitment and training programs on the U of I campus. "The people of the state have set up these universities," replied Shaw, "and I think we have no other choice than to continue them as they already are." "If that serves the military," added Shaw, "then so be it."