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Campus "Unrest" Demonstrations, 1970
1970-05-05 Statement to Mayor Loren Hickerson
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Statement by Mayor Loren Hickerson Noon May 5, 1970 Mayor Loren Hikerson Noon, May 5, 1970 I hope this statement will speak for the overwhelming majority of Iowa City residents, of all ages, who reject violence against people and property as an expression of social protest. A series of incidents during the past week have reflected the willingness of a few to use violence to express their protest, and to counter the efforts of police officers whose public responsibility is to protect the human rights of the community as a whole. In the light of these incidents, which have tended to escalate in numbers of participants and damage to property, the City Council has acted to authorize Iowa City officials to seek a district court injunciton against further acts of destruction, and to broaden local public authority to impose a curfew, if future circumstances were to make such an action essential to curb lawlessness. It should be emphasized that no curfew has been imposed, and none is anticipated in the absence of any clear-cut need for it. Fears have been expressed that these actions will tend to increase violence or the threat of it. In the interests of the whole community, including the university community, the question is also pertinent as to the extent to which crowd actions which involve violations of law are to be continued, without additional public efforts to control them. In exercising judgments, I urge upon citizens of all ages the priority of sharing a common concern for preventing violence here. That cannot be accomplished by public authority alone.
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Statement by Mayor Loren Hickerson Noon May 5, 1970 Mayor Loren Hikerson Noon, May 5, 1970 I hope this statement will speak for the overwhelming majority of Iowa City residents, of all ages, who reject violence against people and property as an expression of social protest. A series of incidents during the past week have reflected the willingness of a few to use violence to express their protest, and to counter the efforts of police officers whose public responsibility is to protect the human rights of the community as a whole. In the light of these incidents, which have tended to escalate in numbers of participants and damage to property, the City Council has acted to authorize Iowa City officials to seek a district court injunciton against further acts of destruction, and to broaden local public authority to impose a curfew, if future circumstances were to make such an action essential to curb lawlessness. It should be emphasized that no curfew has been imposed, and none is anticipated in the absence of any clear-cut need for it. Fears have been expressed that these actions will tend to increase violence or the threat of it. In the interests of the whole community, including the university community, the question is also pertinent as to the extent to which crowd actions which involve violations of law are to be continued, without additional public efforts to control them. In exercising judgments, I urge upon citizens of all ages the priority of sharing a common concern for preventing violence here. That cannot be accomplished by public authority alone.
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