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University of Iowa anti-war protests, 1970

1970-05-08 Daily Iowan Article: ""SDS Claims 'Victory'; More Rallies Planned""

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[Handwritten] DI May 8, 1970 SDS Claims 'Victory'; More Rallies Planned By JIM TOOMBS and KEITH GILLETT Students for a Democratic Society Thursday called the cancellation of Saturday's Governor's Day program a "victory" for the anti-ROTC movement. The group also stated that it would not be intimidated by a city injunction against violence issued Wednesday. About 500 persons participated in the latest in a series of demonstrations - a "sleep-in" on the Pentacrest Wednesday night, but, of that number, only about 100 actually slept all night on the lawn. [Bolded] The "sleep-in" is to continue through Saturday, according to University Student Body Pres. Robert Beller. Iowa City police and Campus Security officers reported no disturbances during the "sleep-in". Additional rallies have been planned for the University campus today and Saturday to continue the protest to the University's ROTC program, the war in Indochina and the shooting of four Kent State students earlier this week by Ohio National Guardsmen. The meetings have been called by SDS, one of the organizations barred from further demonstrations by a District Court injunction issued Wednesday. [Bolded] The organization has called for a mass rally on the Pentacrest at 2 p.m. today to discuss the removal of ROTC from the campus. The group has plans for another rally on the Pentacrest Saturday morning at 9 a.m. The Saturday meeting coincides with a similar meeting that was to have taken place if Governor's Day ceremonies were set for 10:30 a.m. but were canceled by Pres. Willard Boyd Thursday afternoon. Thursday, twelve students met with University Vice Provost Phillip Hubbard requesting authorization to hold rallies and to stage informal picketing on the Pentacrest. [Bolded] They said that at 8:15 a.m. Thursday they were talking to people outside Schaeffer Hall when unidentified faculty members told them the police would be called if they did not leave. "Under the injuction we were forced to leave or be in contempt of court," said David Schein, A3, Los Gatos, Calif. An informal spokesman for the group, Schein said that they wanted the right to act in a non-violent, non-obstructive way on University property - a right which they said the injuction denied them. [Bolded] According to clause 7 of the injunction, authorization must be obtained before students can rally on University or city property. It was later learned that clause seven was not approved by the court. Hubbard meet again late Thursday afternoon with students mentioned in Wednesday's District Court injunction. Hubbard read a statement to the group which said, "The injunction of May 6 places the weight of the District Court behind the rules and regulations which are already in effect as institutional rules. Violators of the specific points of the injunction will be subject to civil action, and the University cannot provide exemption, nor does it wish to do so."
 
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