DIY History | Transcribe | Campus Culture | University of Iowa anti-war protests, 1970 | 1970-05-09 Iowa City Press-Citizen Article: ""Guard Called; Building Burns"" Page 7

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University of Iowa anti-war protests, 1970

1970-05-09 Iowa City Press-Citizen Article: ""Guard Called; Building Burns"" Page 7

[Handwritten] "Guard called..."
Campus
From Page 1A
the corner when a police car arrived.
Capt. John Ruppert, acting police chief, said he had received a report that several persons were trying to break into the Herteen and Stocker jewelry store. 
When the students ran, police fired two shots into the air, Ruppert said. The student association contended police fired four shots. 
Four of the blacks stopped after the shots were fired and were arrested on disorderly conduct charges, police said. The rest escaped. 
Ruppert said he has three witnesses to the incident involving the blacks and that they are a businessman and two other persons from the non-student community.
A great deal had been made by the demonstrators Ruppert said, of the fact that the four persons arrested are blacks. The police officer said whether they were "white, black, Chinese, or you name it" is not a relevant factor in police actions. 
A black student who claimed he was among those involved in the first incident complained to Boyd at the Friday night rally. Boyd, who was informed of the incident earlier, said he though the "arrests were not the thing that should have been done." He said university officials currently are in the process of obtaining attorneys for the students.
Following the arrest of Clark and Fischer, highway patrolmen lined up in front of the Civic Center facing angry demonstrators who protested the arrests which had just occurred and the incident of the blacks. Some shouted obscenities at the officers and called them "pigs." Patrol Capt. Lyle Dickinson told the demonstrators he would talk to two of their representatives after which the crowd calmed down but the demonstration then began shouting among themselves about what the next move should be. 
Dickinson and a police officer did talk to two representatives. Two girls were allowed to go into the police station inside the Civic Center to get Clark's version of his arrest. 
Two other demonstrators who said they were witnesses signed statements on the arrest of Clark and Fischer which City Atty. Jay Honohan said he would present to the City Council.
Later, Burns Weston, University of Iowa professor of law, asked the demonstrators to leave the area in front of the Civic Center. He warned them that the court injunction against disruptions would be invoked shortly and that they would be arrested if they did not clear the area. 
"You're not going to get anything done by pressure tactics... Go now and the injunction will not be served," he said. When one student demanded to know whether the charges against the blacks would be dropped, Weston responded, "Do you always have to have instant decision?"
The students contended the injunction was hollow but one noted "We are not on our own territory" after which the group broke up and drifted back uptown toward the Pentacrest. 
Boyd's surprise appearance at the rally came about 12:30 a.m. 
His remarks were greeted by conflicting choruses of boos and cheers. 
Several protesters demanded he immediately abolish the Reserve Officers Training Corps (ROTC) on campus, but Boyd said such changes are the responsibility of the faculty. 
The president, who had been conferring with Gov. Robert Ray and other state officials in Des Moines, said he regretted the mass arrest of 227 peaceful demonstrators at the Old Capitol early Friday. 
He said his decision to send authorities in to clear the area of protesters was based on false information supplied to him by colleagues on the scene. 
"I was informed that Old Capitol was occupied and it was my judgment that it should be secured," he said. "By the time they got there that was not the case. 
"I will take the responsibility. That's where it belongs."
Boyd left the rally around 1 a.m. after answering questions and challenges presented to him by several protesters. 
The rally began about 9 p.m. as an estimated 400 persons crowded around a radio to hear President Nixon's press conference on Cambodia and recent nationwide protests. 
The response could hardly be interpreted as showing approval of the President's statements. 
After the broadcast the microphone was opened to anyone who wished to speak. The gathering was quiet prior to the appearance of Boyd. 
On hand for the event were a number of faculty members, many of whom spoke out against the war and ROTC's presence on campus. 
The speeches were made in view of Highway Patrol officers who were occupying Old Capitol in the event of trouble. 
The crowd, consisting of a mixed bag of activists, faculty, moderate students and townspeople, varied from perhaps 300 early in the evening to more than 1,000 at the peak around 11 p.m.
A handful of the protesters, including self-proclaimed "outside agitatirs [sic]" from the University of Northern Iowa, camped out on the lawn in front of the Pentacrest after a larger group had resolved to strike Monday. 

[Photo caption:] FIREBALL AT OLD ARMORY TEMPORARY - Flames leap from Old Armory Temporary during a fire early this morning which destroyed the building. The university's rhetoric program was housed in the World War II structure. Arson is suspected.

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[Handwritten] "Guard called..." Campus From Page 1A the corner when a police car arrived. Capt. John Ruppert, acting police chief, said he had received a report that several persons were trying to break into the Herteen and Stocker jewelry store. When the students ran, police fired two shots into the air, Ruppert said. The student association contended police fired four shots. Four of the blacks stopped after the shots were fired and were arrested on disorderly conduct charges, police said. The rest escaped. Ruppert said he has three witnesses to the incident involving the blacks and that they are a businessman and two other persons from the non-student community. A great deal had been made by the demonstrators Ruppert said, of the fact that the four persons arrested are blacks. The police officer said whether they were "white, black, Chinese, or you name it" is not a relevant factor in police actions. A black student who claimed he was among those involved in the first incident complained to Boyd at the Friday night rally. Boyd, who was informed of the incident earlier, said he though the "arrests were not the thing that should have been done." He said university officials currently are in the process of obtaining attorneys for the students. Following the arrest of Clark and Fischer, highway patrolmen lined up in front of the Civic Center facing angry demonstrators who protested the arrests which had just occurred and the incident of the blacks. Some shouted obscenities at the officers and called them "pigs." Patrol Capt. Lyle Dickinson told the demonstrators he would talk to two of their representatives after which the crowd calmed down but the demonstration then began shouting among themselves about what the next move should be. Dickinson and a police officer did talk to two representatives. Two girls were allowed to go into the police station inside the Civic Center to get Clark's version of his arrest. Two other demonstrators who said they were witnesses signed statements on the arrest of Clark and Fischer which City Atty. Jay Honohan said he would present to the City Council. Later, Burns Weston, University of Iowa professor of law, asked the demonstrators to leave the area in front of the Civic Center. He warned them that the court injunction against disruptions would be invoked shortly and that they would be arrested if they did not clear the area. "You're not going to get anything done by pressure tactics... Go now and the injunction will not be served," he said. When one student demanded to know whether the charges against the blacks would be dropped, Weston responded, "Do you always have to have instant decision?" The students contended the injunction was hollow but one noted "We are not on our own territory" after which the group broke up and drifted back uptown toward the Pentacrest. Boyd's surprise appearance at the rally came about 12:30 a.m. His remarks were greeted by conflicting choruses of boos and cheers. Several protesters demanded he immediately abolish the Reserve Officers Training Corps (ROTC) on campus, but Boyd said such changes are the responsibility of the faculty. The president, who had been conferring with Gov. Robert Ray and other state officials in Des Moines, said he regretted the mass arrest of 227 peaceful demonstrators at the Old Capitol early Friday. He said his decision to send authorities in to clear the area of protesters was based on false information supplied to him by colleagues on the scene. "I was informed that Old Capitol was occupied and it was my judgment that it should be secured," he said. "By the time they got there that was not the case. "I will take the responsibility. That's where it belongs." Boyd left the rally around 1 a.m. after answering questions and challenges presented to him by several protesters. The rally began about 9 p.m. as an estimated 400 persons crowded around a radio to hear President Nixon's press conference on Cambodia and recent nationwide protests. The response could hardly be interpreted as showing approval of the President's statements. After the broadcast the microphone was opened to anyone who wished to speak. The gathering was quiet prior to the appearance of Boyd. On hand for the event were a number of faculty members, many of whom spoke out against the war and ROTC's presence on campus. The speeches were made in view of Highway Patrol officers who were occupying Old Capitol in the event of trouble. The crowd, consisting of a mixed bag of activists, faculty, moderate students and townspeople, varied from perhaps 300 early in the evening to more than 1,000 at the peak around 11 p.m. A handful of the protesters, including self-proclaimed "outside agitatirs [sic]" from the University of Northern Iowa, camped out on the lawn in front of the Pentacrest after a larger group had resolved to strike Monday. [Photo caption:] FIREBALL AT OLD ARMORY TEMPORARY - Flames leap from Old Armory Temporary during a fire early this morning which destroyed the building. The university's rhetoric program was housed in the World War II structure. Arson is suspected.