Protest
continued from page 1
Student Senator and an ROTC
cadet at the time, and he remem
bers the protest as if it happened
yesterday.
“It was quite tense there for a lit
tle bit,” he said.
Some students sat in at then
University President Robert
Clark’s office in Johnson Hall and
hundreds more protested outside
the building in an effort to express
their opposition to the Senate’s de
cision and the U.S. government.
“Students spent that first night
on those hard floors in Johnson
Hall,” Clark said. “Our conversa
tions were not hostile or bitter, but
I was concerned.”
Clark said he had told protest
ers they could stay for a night, but
had to vacate the space on the sec
ond day.
But on that same night, Johnson
Hall protesters became increasing
ly riotous and a group of about 400
protesters rallied in front of and at
tacked ROTC facilities on campus,
throwing fire crackers and torch
es, apples and oranges with razor
blades, breaking windows and
smashing doors, leading Clark to
ask Eugene Police and Oregon
State Police for support.
Against Clark’s wishes, Oregon
Governor Tom McCall sent in the
National Guard to stand by. Mogan
said he had volunteered to stay in
side and protect ROTC facilities
even though ROTC leaders had
alerted cadets that the situation was
dangerous and they were not ask
ing anybody to stay.
Mogan said he and fellow ROTC
cadets had anticipated some disor
der following the Senate’s decision,
but they had not expected the level
of turmoil the protests reached.
“Our worst expectations were
realized,” he said. “All we wanted
was to earn our commissions and
be able to go out into military serv
ice. We wanted to exercise our
right to be in the program.”
Father Robert Young, who was
a University student and a ROTC
cadet at the time, had also come to
help protect ROTC facilities.
“There was an expectation of
great violence,” said Young, now
a church pastor in Granbury,
Texas. “The crowd was increas
ingly nasty.”
“I don’t remember being pan
icked at all,” Young said. “I think
there was kind of a feeling of resig
nation: ‘If this is the day I die, this
is the day I die’.”
The protest escalated more. Mo
gan said an ROTC sergeant pulled
him out of the building through a
window just in time to protect him
from an exploding fire bomb.
“We were worried about our
own safety at that time,” Mogan
said. “It was absolutely brutal.”
He said emotions were flying so
high among protesters, observers,
Eugene and Oregon State Police
and the National Guard that he is
almost surprised there were no
major injuries that night.
“Had things got out of hand just
a bit more on the night of the
[April] 15, God only knows what
would have happened,” Mogan
said.
The protests outside ROTC fa
cilities and Johnson Hall were also
the first time police used tear gas
on campus in addition to pepper
spray, which was used to disperse
the crowds.
Both Clark and Mogan said the
events on the chaotic night were
some of the most heated in the
University’s history.
“I think they were intensely
emotional moments,” Clark said.
Mogan said the University has
seen many protests come and go
throughout the years, but in the 30
years since the Vietnam War and
ROTC protest, the way protesters
and police act has changed.
“The Oregon campus has always
been a hotbed of activism and that’s
not any different today,” he said.
*
CRIME
WATCH
Reported April 11 through April 18:
April 8: Theft, suspect cut boot device
off his truck's wheel, 1300 block
Agate Street
April 11-13: Harassment, 1300 block
Franklin Boulevard, threatening let
ters sent to University chemistry de
partment
April 12: Theft 1,200 block West 8th
Avenue, attempted reselling of stolen
violin and case
April 13: Burglary II, 500 block East
13th Avenue, window broken, items
stolen
April 14: Forgery I, disorderly con
duct, harassment, 1400 block Colum
bia Street, subject resisted arrest and
had a forged driver’s license
April 14: Theft, 1100 block
Willamette Street, reselling stolen CDs
April 14: Trespassing, 1100 block
Franklin Boulevard
Crime tips of the week from OPS Off i
cer Bob Guse:
1. Don’t let someone follow you into a
locked area (like a resident hall). If
you feel uncomfortable asking if they
belong, call us at 346-5444 with a de
scription and we will talk to them.
2. If someone doesn’t have a key to
get in, don’t let them in. They might
not have a key for a reason.
Tim Wise
Join Tim and your fellow students in
exploring the many aspects of diversity and
its role at the University of Oregon.
Lunch & Discussion:
Tuesday, April 18th, 12:30pm
Multicultural Center, EMU
Keynote Address:
“Beyond Diversity: Challenging Racism in
an Age of Backlash.”
EMU Ballroom - Tuesday, April 18th, 7pm
Community Town Hall Panel Discussion:
Wednesday, April 19th, 7pm
Ben Linder Room, EMU
Also watch for discussions with Tim in select classes!
All events are free and open to the public.
t
SO
*-s
arc.
Sponsored by Friars and the ASUO
Bonny Bettman is endorsed by:
Organizations Members of the Campus Community
Campus Green Party
Oregon League of Conservation Voters
Oregon Natural Resources Council
Sierra Club
Elected Officials
Bill Dwyer
David Kelly
Scott Meisner
Floyd Prozanski
Gary Rayor
Peter Sorenson
Betty Taylor
John Baldwin
Jerry Berk
Shawn Boles
Howard Bonnett
Tom Bowerman
Suzanne Clark
Paul Engelking
Joan Fariel
Eben Fodor
Linda Fuller
Jerome Grzybowski
Chuck Hunt
Robert Long
Greg McLauchlan
Sandi Morgen
Robert O’Brien
Chris O’Conner
Paul Prew
Cheyney Ryan
Nathan Tublitz
Ray Wolfe
Authorized and Paid for by Bonny Bettman for City Council
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mASiCAL MiNS?HeI.
sIP rLVhSiti POK'I'H V' <
(JO Cultural Forum presents ...
Chris Chandler
a»d /Vla^da Hiller
Wednesday April 19
9:00 pm • Agate Hall
$5 UO Students, $7 General Public
Tickets available @ UO Ticket Office
For information, call 346-4363
Pick up an Emerald at 93
campus & community locations.