Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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South Carolina's best Published three campus newspaper times every week. VOL. LX-No: 89 University of South Carolina, Columbia, S. C. 208 MA M**?:M ..:: : 41 ar R.H. Thirty-six students were ar refused to leave the Russell l a strike called for yester Russell 0 stirs m By JOHN GASH and JOHN LEWIS Staff Writers Shouts of "Seig Heil, Seig Heil" from parts of a crowd of more than 1200 greeted about 60 highway patrolmen, city police and SLED agents as they arrived yesterday with blue lights flashing and brandishing billy sticks, to arrest a small group of demonstrators who has seized the Assembly Room of the Russell House. The officers, walking in a tight group resembling a formation, entered the second floor of Russell House to evict 37 students sitting in front of the Information desk. Before the police arrived a group of about forty had gathered arm in arm sitting on the floor singing"'Power to the People". Jim Bradford. student body vice president, came in with student marshals and told the group that Horseshoe marred b' A rally on the Horseshoe yesterday was marked by a con frontation between groups for and against lowering the state and national flags in memory of four students killed at Kent State UJniversity Monday. Tlhe suggestion that the flags be lowered came near the end of the student committee sponsored meeting which lasted two and one half hours. When there were ob jections Student Body Vice President Jim Bradford asked students to abide by a ma,}ority vote, which overwhelmingly favored lowering the flag. When student marshals at tempted to lower the flags, Richard Hines, senior class president-elect, and Tim Moore refused to move from the platform and held onto the rope guiding the flag. Campus police arrived shortly, received instructions from President Thomas F. Jones to lower the flag and did so, to the cheers of some students and the boos of others. reste( reoj Police wait as rested yesterday when they louse. They were supporting day and today. Highway House uch err they could leave then and not be arrested. A few left. At 5:18 p.m. police came through the door wearing blue and green hard hats. Head of SLED J.P. Strom told the demonstrators that they were violating the state trespassing law. A girl from the group told the police that they were not going to resist arrest and that they would go peacefully. City Police Chief Campbell was there along with Detective Capt. Harry Snipes and a Highway Patrol Colonel. A girl in the group stated that they were there for "Freedom" and because "we're not afraid to be arrested." The police were standing around exchangin,, remarks, and no one seemed sure what the next move would be. Capt. Snipes said that they were waiting for a bus to be moved into rally y incident Although the flag was then raised back by mistake, it was quickly lowered again to halt' staff for the rest of the day. Tihree speakers at the rally were cited by the University for violation of its speaker policy. Asst. l)ean of Men, Jerry Nix read, "You are given notice that you are speaking in speaking in violation of regulations. You are requested to leave and you are notified that by persisting you are subject to prosecution by the University. The first two-Doug Thiele, a IBenedict College professor, and Joe Goodmar. -continued to speak alter being cited. Some of the crowd of about 500,. including two dozen ROTC cadets in uniform and about 510 faculty members, booed Nix, while others called. "Free speech--let him speak." Tlhe third speaker cited Thomas Broadwater Jr., an American Civil Liberties Union attorney for the UF"O Coffeehouse--was cited only after he spoke. No speakers were arrested. I dur e S11 J protestors sit patrolmen, city policemen, Guardsmen we* catledlos con rc to tio n,& position to take the demonstrators away. During the wait the group sat on the floor and sang many songs including "America the Beautiful," "The Battle Hymn of the Republic" and "Give Peace A Chance." Capt. Strom conferred with several individuals, including Bradford and the Governor's press secretary Wayne Seal. Around 5:40 a highway patrolman said "Gimme ten men." The 10 men Fears, when j By ('AIIL STEIPP Associate Editor They had heard talk of it, suspected it, dreaded it. They had planned for it, feared it. awaited it. When it came, they were con lused, bothered, scared, calm, and very human. As hundreds of students milled outside Russell House - and a few score held forth behind its seemingly distant doors -they were wondering now. What to do. where to turn, who to depend on. Most of all, they wanted nobody hurt. Kent State, they kept thinking. Orangeburg. Live ammo, national guard, outside police, busted heads. I p.m. Trustee Mlichael J. Mungo hd long talked about corn iinicastion and a willingness to listena to anybody anytime. Now he otered'a' a trade: his office for ues%se'll hlouse. "Tlhey can come to my office. I'll welcome them, all of thmem. anid I'll stay for iII days and inI igshts talking if they want me 4:21 Jim Bradford has a bullhorn, students gather, and he tells them to clear the building and grounds in :io minutes. They boo. 43:0 Mike Spears takes the bullhorn. Leave, clear out, he says. 4::(1 to .5 Administrators, faculty, students scurrying everywhere. Several profs try to talk the protestors out. An administrator tries his damndest to get the crowd 0 ing"1 unde - Larr cagle. 1te Stase SLED agents and National *bteove-thdutints. ontation con ust were dispatched downstairs to quiet students who were beating on the doors. Outside, a group of demon strators sympathetic to the protestors inside the Russell House called the police "pigs," "fascists" and other names. When the police locked the first floor of the Russell House. several protesters tried to get in by banging on the doors. Hesistation on the part of police to arrest the group until the suspici to disperse. "When they come, they're not going to distinguish who's a bystander and who's not. Please, especially the girls, clear out." 5 Jim Bradford rushes outside, says the protestors have voted in favor of coming out with student ISGA's JespOlSC ::Editor's note: The following ~is a statement issued by Vice ~President of the Student 'Government Jim Bradford to ~the Gamecock last night. EStud ent Government has j~isponsored through a Senate ~resolut ion a voluntary strike for :May 7 and II. and a memorial" Sservice for the students killed at ~Kent State University. At no Stime did Student Government c Sadvocate the seizure of Russell H louse, and at the time that s~ tudents took control of the . l( us~sell House. Mike Spears. ' president of the Student (;ov-" "ernment. announced to that * .eftect. T'he student government l: oins with the president of the U Lnive(rsit y in urging all students to avoid acts of . violence and to pursue a ~responsible course of action in Sexpressing their concerns and seeking redress of grievanne r usu Memor Over forty people were arrested on charges of trespassing on state property after they were asked to leave the Russell House yesterday. Although the Russell House was declared off limits at ap proximately 2 p.m. yesterday, the building will reopen today and resume its regular operations. According to USC President Thomas F. Jones. classes will be McNair s police wa long enoi By Fred Monk Managing Editor "We walked the last mile and ahalf." Governor Robert E. McNair said last night referring to a student takeover of the Russell House yesterday. "And we will not walk that mile and a half again." McNair talking to newsman last night, said that the student takeover was -in direct defiance of the laws and was just a show of on arresting bus had been moved to the closest possible exit increased the uneasiness of the crowd. Several of the policemen were twirling their sticks which were about three feet long. But even in the midst of the tension, one policeman found a little light in the situation. The demonstrator had told the police. what the difference was between a I ('ontinued on Page 1 ons con rrived I marshals if the police don't come in 5:05 Someone spots the police. Applause, and the mob flows toward the old gym. 5:iNi Wayne Seal. McNair's press secretary, talks to students and says the police are here "to check the matter out.'' 5:EMi A policeman fingers a long black club. " Black power." he says Nooy laughs. 5:10l A blue sedan leads a procession of police cars up Green Street. ''Everybody loves a parade." somebody says. The c'rowd flows with the cars. 5:15S The police leave their cars and lorm in front of Russell House. led by SLI)D Chief Strom. Some stuident s cheer, others heckle. 5:1 lhe hecklers win. "Seig Heil. Seig Heil." they chant 5:17 Strom. George Key and Sonny (lark lead the police to the edge of the ramp. Student mar shals enter the building for one last try to get the protestors to leave. Tlhe crowd yelig "Kent State." S Ili Police move up Russell House ramp. The crowd runs back. apparently leeling the police will move to disperse them. Police bodily toss some students off the ramp. Increasingly hostile crowd shouts. "Pigs off campus." 5:19 Crowd chants "oink, oink, 5:26; A second police group moves up the ramp. An ad ministrator comes by, says he aw take, al pa al service held as usual. Also planned for today are a rally on the Horseshoe at noon and a memorial service for the four students who died at Kent State University scheduled for 1:30 p.m. in Rutledge Chapel. In total 41 persons were arrested--38 for trespassing, two for disok derly conduct and one person arrested. Brett Bursey, has not yet been charged. ays ited tgh disrespect for government and laws. "We will do everything we can so the University will remain open," he said. "and we have encouraged students to attend classes." McNair said that as far as he knew there would not be any of ticial suspension of classes, but he added that the decision must come from the board of trustees. ie said his office received a call for assistance from a University official at approximately 3 p.m. and he said that the decision was made to move in Highway Patrolmen and State Law En forcement Division agents at 5 p.m. They arrived on campus at 5:20 p.m. "We do not tolerate actions like those taken today," McNair said. "The trespass notice was given at 2 p.m. and they were notified that the building was to be closed and vacated." "They put themselves in the position of being arrested," the governor said. "We were advised that this was a group that wanted to be arrested. McNair said that his office waited as long as it could, "and then some" before ordering the woititinued on Page j firmed aiere one guy with his "head busted." 5:30I Police are lining ramp. and paper and one can are thrown. A wad ol paper hits a cop in the face. 'The crowd cheers. He looks shaken then he smiles. 5:30-5-40 Students shift around in f ront of Russell House. Rumors are rampant. There's a brief interest in damaging the police bus. A girl is helped down the ramp. She holds her arm. but looks more upset than hurt. She cries. Someone spots the paddy wagon behind Russell House '(he crowd joins it. 5 40 The protestors. arms upraised and tists clenched, walk from Russell House to the paddy wagon. Their w~ay' is lined by police, as students climb on top of Russell House. None seems hurt. 5 4f A fewv students sit in front of the bus. barring its way. Dozens of students .join them. until there are more than lt00 persons sitting. 5- 4t-5-54) Persons in bus sing "America". One policeman says he had just sat down to a big supper when he was called out. Another had just returned from the lake. Another policeman helps out one of the arrested kids on the bus by giving the kid's car keys to a friend. "Park it in a good place," the arrested boy yells from the b)us. A student spits in a policeman's face, yells at him and the policeman pulls a can and ('ontinnmed en BP==e 4) over, 11icles today The two persons charged with disorderly conduct were turned over to city police bringing them under the jurisdiction of the city recorder who set bond for them at $100 each. Bond has not been set for the remaining persons charged since the magistrate who sets the bond has not been located. Approximately 40 campus leaders sat down last night with Jones and Vice President for Student Affairs Charles H. Witten on the problems. They were also told by Jones that if it was necessary for national guardsmen to come on the Uni versity again they would probably be armed. In a press conference Thursday night. Gov. Robert E. McNair avowed that he would do everything he could to keep the University open. Approximately 50 highway patrolmen. 10 to 15 State Law Enforcement Division agents and approximately 100 national guardsmen were ordered into the Russell House area by Gov. Robert E. McNair. after University President Thomas F. Jones said that the University could no longer control the situation by itself. Approximately 1:500'students gathered around the Union building anticipating law en forcement officials to come into the area. The students arrested for trespassing were among ap proximately :300 to 500 students who had a short time before at tended a rally on the Horseshoe as part of a two-day strike protesting the Russell House policy on visitors and having on guard plainselothesman checking identification cards. American intervention into Cambodia and the deaths of four Kent State University Students killed Monday by Ohio National Guardsmen. A strike was called for Thursday and Friday by the Strike Coalition Committee, an organization made up of several student factions and supported by the Student Senate through a bill passed Wednesday .15 to 14. Jones praised Student Govern ment for "acting in a responsible manner.' appealed to students to avoid areas of confrontation, and pledged all efforts to insure campus satety. At the same time. Student Bodv President Mike Spears-caught in a tense situation barely two days aftter his mnauguration---explained whyv St udent Government spon sored Thursday's horseshoe rally and why SG later telt it had to disclaim the situation. Spears said he pressed for Wednesday's Senate resolution calling tor' a two-day strike ot classes f or two reason: Decause he felt a strike could be etfec'tive it it was moderate and legal: and T hose a rres ted More than 40f persons were arrested during the campus disturbances yesterday. Brett Hursey. who had p)reviously been barred from campus property, was being held at Rtichland County .Jail. Other males wecrc taken to the reception and evaluation center of the Detpartment of Corrections. Women arrested were taken i. Hlarbison (orrectional Institutiona for Women near Irmo. Most of those arrested wer charged with trespassing and bor1 is reported to be $t00. Students arrested were: Anthony T. Bright. Richard Edwards. Stuart C. Blersch and Jack C. Hanna. Also. Michael N. Ellis. Ralph E. Courtney. Lawrence A. Waller and tephen N. Steele.