DIY History | Transcribe | Campus Culture | University of Iowa anti-war protests, January-April 1971 | 1971-03-25 Daily Iowan Article: ""'One false move and somebody is dead???'"" Page 2

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

1971-03-25 Daily Iowan Article: ""'One false move and somebody is dead???'"" Page 2

rest of us then, half out of conscience half out of boredom. 

... it's sunny, the sun catches the pillars, the bronze dome of the Old Capitol, it filters through the trees very delicately and some people lean out of the buildings all around and some walk by and some stand way back in the crowd that the guns had been pointed in the eyes of the blacks: one bullet punctured the jewelry shop's window about six feet up from the sidewalk. 
As Clark railed about the incident, it was announced that a contingent of black students would soon come forth with a statement of their own. Later a group of around 50 walked starkly onto
[line missing?]
spring sunshine. There could be no doubt  about the legitimacy of the black's gripe, for those black, glowering eyes had a fearful, uncompromising honestly about them. So the crowd moved, and its movement seemed to give it portent, ominously so, like water, or anger, swirling into a drain. 
. . . we march down Clintton and 
[line missing?]
and mouse. 
[see missing words on page 4]One can only call to mind the ho 
of police cowering beneath the she
of rocks during the previous nigh
he is to contemplate the reaction in 
the Civic Center on that Friday
noon. The aura surrounding the
was similar if not identical, bruise
bruise, regardless of how unarmed 
group was at it advanced down 
ington Street. The stage was again
The police had little idea of what it 
all about this time, but they were 
tain of the fact that they, the kids, 
coming again. 
Yet there was not a large numb
police on hand. None of them was d
ed inn riot gear as in previous ni
They instead wore their cotton
parking-ticket giving blue uniforms
stood at the front of the civic ce
with shotguns a few more gua
parked cruisers by the side entra
an unknown number of other, som
plainclothes, waited inside. 

... when we get to the Civic
ter we see police to the left of us a
side entrance, police to the right o
at the main entrance. there is a
moment of panic, a second of fr
air. Clark turns to me and says "W
entrance do you think we ought to us
I hesitate not an instant. "Front
hell, we ought to walk right up th
So we go up the stairs, we me
Bruce, single-minded and hating
cism worse than almost anything 
is to hate in this world. We know
these same guns we see before us
shots at our brothers under the 
We are mad and want to express
selves dramatically and not take 
shit from anyone or quiet argum
teeth-pulling nothingness, and cr
the steps we go, the police do not 
a muscle. There is hardly time in 
this quickness to notice anywhere
deep inside the brain that these
men we face are not in this moment 
man. They stand staunchly gun po
not human but just a doorway ten
toward the impenetrable.

Up the stairs we go, Clark first
the stairs walking quickly, the tw
us, wanting to get past them and 
inside and not be held back out of 
own police station. Then the inhu
door springs to action like the b
of the quickest rifle you can name
grabs Clark, begins butting him
in the head with the gun. The tw
them jump him, mercilessly bea
not restraining but having a field
battering his poor soft brains,
eyes darting and flashing. I am 
hind, watching a brother being
seeing the blood of it. I figure I 
wrest from them, maybe hold
off and call it a stalemate for now
point being made. 

But it is not to be so. For as I 
Clark by the back of the shirt the
the vacuum-like sensation of doors
ing opened and hordes of blue rus
out. Instantly I am blinded my sp
cles crash to the ground, I feel

Confrontation
This photograph, compliments of the Des Moines Register, was taken in front of the Civic Center last May when Bruce Clark (under policeman and Norman Fischer (on the ground behind policeman) and other students attempted to protest the arrest of several black men. 

Di March 25, 1971 p.2 (of 4)

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rest of us then, half out of conscience half out of boredom. ... it's sunny, the sun catches the pillars, the bronze dome of the Old Capitol, it filters through the trees very delicately and some people lean out of the buildings all around and some walk by and some stand way back in the crowd that the guns had been pointed in the eyes of the blacks: one bullet punctured the jewelry shop's window about six feet up from the sidewalk. As Clark railed about the incident, it was announced that a contingent of black students would soon come forth with a statement of their own. Later a group of around 50 walked starkly onto [line missing?] spring sunshine. There could be no doubt about the legitimacy of the black's gripe, for those black, glowering eyes had a fearful, uncompromising honestly about them. So the crowd moved, and its movement seemed to give it portent, ominously so, like water, or anger, swirling into a drain. . . . we march down Clintton and [line missing?] and mouse. [see missing words on page 4]One can only call to mind the ho of police cowering beneath the she of rocks during the previous nigh he is to contemplate the reaction in the Civic Center on that Friday noon. The aura surrounding the was similar if not identical, bruise bruise, regardless of how unarmed group was at it advanced down ington Street. The stage was again The police had little idea of what it all about this time, but they were tain of the fact that they, the kids, coming again. Yet there was not a large numb police on hand. None of them was d ed inn riot gear as in previous ni They instead wore their cotton parking-ticket giving blue uniforms stood at the front of the civic ce with shotguns a few more gua parked cruisers by the side entra an unknown number of other, som plainclothes, waited inside. ... when we get to the Civic ter we see police to the left of us a side entrance, police to the right o at the main entrance. there is a moment of panic, a second of fr air. Clark turns to me and says "W entrance do you think we ought to us I hesitate not an instant. "Front hell, we ought to walk right up th So we go up the stairs, we me Bruce, single-minded and hating cism worse than almost anything is to hate in this world. We know these same guns we see before us shots at our brothers under the We are mad and want to express selves dramatically and not take shit from anyone or quiet argum teeth-pulling nothingness, and cr the steps we go, the police do not a muscle. There is hardly time in this quickness to notice anywhere deep inside the brain that these men we face are not in this moment man. They stand staunchly gun po not human but just a doorway ten toward the impenetrable. Up the stairs we go, Clark first the stairs walking quickly, the tw us, wanting to get past them and inside and not be held back out of own police station. Then the inhu door springs to action like the b of the quickest rifle you can name grabs Clark, begins butting him in the head with the gun. The tw them jump him, mercilessly bea not restraining but having a field battering his poor soft brains, eyes darting and flashing. I am hind, watching a brother being seeing the blood of it. I figure I wrest from them, maybe hold off and call it a stalemate for now point being made. But it is not to be so. For as I Clark by the back of the shirt the the vacuum-like sensation of doors ing opened and hordes of blue rus out. Instantly I am blinded my sp cles crash to the ground, I feel Confrontation This photograph, compliments of the Des Moines Register, was taken in front of the Civic Center last May when Bruce Clark (under policeman and Norman Fischer (on the ground behind policeman) and other students attempted to protest the arrest of several black men. Di March 25, 1971 p.2 (of 4)