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University of Iowa anti-war protests, 1965-1967

31858064848116_056-05

[handwritten]
p5. (of 5) 
DSMR
Dec. 10
1967

Several times the classes in Macbride Hall, University Hall, Schaeffer Hall and the English- Philosophy Building were put into an uproar by the demonstrators coursing through the halls. 
In University Hall, someone armed with a screwdriver dismantled the hinges from the office door of M.L. Huit, the dean of students. 
At Old Capitol - the historic old edifice that is the university's architectural treasure - someone sprayed blue paint on the native-quarried rock. 
"Revolution Now"
" We want out rights and we don't care how, we want a revolution now," they chanted. 
At one point they wanted a confrontation with President Bowen, " Does anybody know what Bowen looks like?" yelled a girl as she ran for a side door. 
On top of a parking building east of the Student Union police found Ross Peterson, 19 a Des Moines sophomore. He was operating a two-way radio they said, and they charged him with conspiracy. 
" Some of this is presumption but we're sure he was a sort of controller," said Iowa City City Manager Frank Smiley. "We think he was in contact with a car and a motor scooter."
On East Jefferson street, they arrested Paul Kleinberger, a part-time rhetoric instructor. He too, they said, was operating a two-way radio and was charged with conspiracy. 
Kleinberged had "re-scheduled" his class for the day, and Friday was suspended from his teaching duties pending the outcome of his trial. 
" I think we cropped them early because we got those two radios," said Smiley.
Some selections from the 5,000 word article on recommended riot tactics in Middle Earth: 
" In the case of Mace, applications of Vaseline to the face are helpful as Mace is a liquid and will run off the oily surface of the skin. 
" People should go into actions of this type "armed" with paint, whipped cream etc. 
" People should wear heavy coats (for protection and to be used to cover tear gas canisters) and good strong boots with steel toes. 
" It was very important for us to have been able to collect, before the action, the information we needed to bail people out of jail." 
For the University of Iowa demonstrators who hadn't read Middle Earth, a mimeographed sheet- handed out during the speeches - told them what to do: Disperse and regroup at a place to be announced. 
It seems likely that the Nov. 1 demonstration raised questions and the Dec. 5 demonstration swelled them into demands. 
For instance, the university has no class attendance policy. That is left up to the professor in charge of a course. 
The policies of professors differ widely - depending upon the class ranking of the students, the kind of course, the temperament of the professor and the ability of the students. 
" I understand that," said a reader of The Register last week, "but does that give students the right to roam up and down halls, disrupting the studies and classes of other students?" 
" We are taking all steps to identify those involved, and they will be subject to disciplinary action through the usual procedures," said a university official. 
That is basically what the university said about the 200 counter-demonstrators who viciously attacked the demonstrators on Nov. 1. 

None Identified
Despite the hundreds of pictures taken of the counter-demonstrators by newsmen and police, the university said it was unable to identify a single one. 
Perhaps the significant difference between the November and December demonstrations was the way the police - eastern Iowa sheriffs and deputies and Iowa City policemen - took control. 
In November, a series of negotiations preceded the appearance of the lawmen. No such thing occurred in December. 
" Our rule is that we're going to be there when we're needed," said City Manager Smiley." We made it clear that we'll work with the university, but once something happens we consider that we are in charge of the problem."
Smiley added: " I wouldn't want to give the impression that we came in spite of the university. If we would have asked them to ask us to come, it would have taken only a moment."
In about a month the Central Intelligence Agency is scheduled to have a recruiter in Iowa City. Does Smiley expect more trouble?
" What the university does in regard to those who were arrested will have something to do with it," he said " but we're going to have law and order. We'll crack as many heads as need to be cracked." 
That remark will be ammunition for many students - among them John Pelton, the Clinton senior who is student president - who are convinced there was " police brutality" Tuesday. To be sure some heads were cracked and some of those arrested were roughly handcuffed.
" I wasn't hurt. I wasn't hit. I just dropped to the non-violent position," said David Grant, 22 a St Louis graduate student who was cited by the afternoon's demonstrations as a sufferer of " tremendous police brutality."
Pelton was under fire back in his home town as a demonstrator. For the record, he wasn't ; he was striving to bring peace to the campus; Tuesday night he was complaining bitterly about having been forced by the situation to miss all his classes that day. 
Describing the day's frenzy as "unfortunate and unnecessary," Pelton said: " My primary interest is order on the campus. I involved myself Tuesday not as a protester or supporter of the protest, but as a concerned witness attempting both to gather information and conciliate factions to restore peace. 
" Both students and police committed wrongful and unnecessary acts," he said. 
Added Pelton: " The Student Senate in which I have no vote and whose directives I administer, voted bond money for the jailed individuals. 
" Explicitly expressed many times was the fact that this in no way supported the beliefs or actions of the protesters, but was based on humanity and the cause of equal justice. "
A legal opinion later prevented the Student Senate funds from being used for bonds. 
Some of he usual demonstration leaders were very obviously in the background Tuesday. They were among the 70 students (of a total of 108) arrested and convicted after the November demonstration and warned that another conviction might get them kicked out of school. 
But the same old faces were in the crowd; this time they were in back.
Comedian Dick Gregory's lecture at the university Wednesday night ended the two days of running and talking. 
He praised the demonstrators and added:
" Give it to them; raise hell. But when you do, be prepared to pay the price, baby ; five years in jail, whatever. Fight them in he courts but be prepared to pay the price when you lose." 

[handwritten]
DMSR
Dec. 10, 1967

Saving...

[handwritten] p5. (of 5) DSMR Dec. 10 1967 Several times the classes in Macbride Hall, University Hall, Schaeffer Hall and the English- Philosophy Building were put into an uproar by the demonstrators coursing through the halls. In University Hall, someone armed with a screwdriver dismantled the hinges from the office door of M.L. Huit, the dean of students. At Old Capitol - the historic old edifice that is the university's architectural treasure - someone sprayed blue paint on the native-quarried rock. "Revolution Now" " We want out rights and we don't care how, we want a revolution now," they chanted. At one point they wanted a confrontation with President Bowen, " Does anybody know what Bowen looks like?" yelled a girl as she ran for a side door. On top of a parking building east of the Student Union police found Ross Peterson, 19 a Des Moines sophomore. He was operating a two-way radio they said, and they charged him with conspiracy. " Some of this is presumption but we're sure he was a sort of controller," said Iowa City City Manager Frank Smiley. "We think he was in contact with a car and a motor scooter." On East Jefferson street, they arrested Paul Kleinberger, a part-time rhetoric instructor. He too, they said, was operating a two-way radio and was charged with conspiracy. Kleinberged had "re-scheduled" his class for the day, and Friday was suspended from his teaching duties pending the outcome of his trial. " I think we cropped them early because we got those two radios," said Smiley. Some selections from the 5,000 word article on recommended riot tactics in Middle Earth: " In the case of Mace, applications of Vaseline to the face are helpful as Mace is a liquid and will run off the oily surface of the skin. " People should go into actions of this type "armed" with paint, whipped cream etc. " People should wear heavy coats (for protection and to be used to cover tear gas canisters) and good strong boots with steel toes. " It was very important for us to have been able to collect, before the action, the information we needed to bail people out of jail." For the University of Iowa demonstrators who hadn't read Middle Earth, a mimeographed sheet- handed out during the speeches - told them what to do: Disperse and regroup at a place to be announced. It seems likely that the Nov. 1 demonstration raised questions and the Dec. 5 demonstration swelled them into demands. For instance, the university has no class attendance policy. That is left up to the professor in charge of a course. The policies of professors differ widely - depending upon the class ranking of the students, the kind of course, the temperament of the professor and the ability of the students. " I understand that," said a reader of The Register last week, "but does that give students the right to roam up and down halls, disrupting the studies and classes of other students?" " We are taking all steps to identify those involved, and they will be subject to disciplinary action through the usual procedures," said a university official. That is basically what the university said about the 200 counter-demonstrators who viciously attacked the demonstrators on Nov. 1. None Identified Despite the hundreds of pictures taken of the counter-demonstrators by newsmen and police, the university said it was unable to identify a single one. Perhaps the significant difference between the November and December demonstrations was the way the police - eastern Iowa sheriffs and deputies and Iowa City policemen - took control. In November, a series of negotiations preceded the appearance of the lawmen. No such thing occurred in December. " Our rule is that we're going to be there when we're needed," said City Manager Smiley." We made it clear that we'll work with the university, but once something happens we consider that we are in charge of the problem." Smiley added: " I wouldn't want to give the impression that we came in spite of the university. If we would have asked them to ask us to come, it would have taken only a moment." In about a month the Central Intelligence Agency is scheduled to have a recruiter in Iowa City. Does Smiley expect more trouble? " What the university does in regard to those who were arrested will have something to do with it," he said " but we're going to have law and order. We'll crack as many heads as need to be cracked." That remark will be ammunition for many students - among them John Pelton, the Clinton senior who is student president - who are convinced there was " police brutality" Tuesday. To be sure some heads were cracked and some of those arrested were roughly handcuffed. " I wasn't hurt. I wasn't hit. I just dropped to the non-violent position," said David Grant, 22 a St Louis graduate student who was cited by the afternoon's demonstrations as a sufferer of " tremendous police brutality." Pelton was under fire back in his home town as a demonstrator. For the record, he wasn't ; he was striving to bring peace to the campus; Tuesday night he was complaining bitterly about having been forced by the situation to miss all his classes that day. Describing the day's frenzy as "unfortunate and unnecessary," Pelton said: " My primary interest is order on the campus. I involved myself Tuesday not as a protester or supporter of the protest, but as a concerned witness attempting both to gather information and conciliate factions to restore peace. " Both students and police committed wrongful and unnecessary acts," he said. Added Pelton: " The Student Senate in which I have no vote and whose directives I administer, voted bond money for the jailed individuals. " Explicitly expressed many times was the fact that this in no way supported the beliefs or actions of the protesters, but was based on humanity and the cause of equal justice. " A legal opinion later prevented the Student Senate funds from being used for bonds. Some of he usual demonstration leaders were very obviously in the background Tuesday. They were among the 70 students (of a total of 108) arrested and convicted after the November demonstration and warned that another conviction might get them kicked out of school. But the same old faces were in the crowd; this time they were in back. Comedian Dick Gregory's lecture at the university Wednesday night ended the two days of running and talking. He praised the demonstrators and added: " Give it to them; raise hell. But when you do, be prepared to pay the price, baby ; five years in jail, whatever. Fight them in he courts but be prepared to pay the price when you lose." [handwritten] DMSR Dec. 10, 1967