News

Garber Announces Advisory Committee for Harvard Law School Dean Search

News

First Harvard Prize Book in Kosovo Established by Harvard Alumni

News

Ryan Murdock ’25 Remembered as Dedicated Advocate and Caring Friend

News

Harvard Faculty Appeal Temporary Suspensions From Widener Library

News

Man Who Managed Clients for High-End Cambridge Brothel Network Pleads Guilty

November Action Radicals 'Visit' Without Violence, M. I. T. Research Center

By Jeff Magalif

About 200 students from M. I. T. and Harvard marched peacefully into M. I. T.'s Center for International Studies yesterday morning and stayed to talk with members of the Center's staff.

The demonstration was organized by the radical November Action Committee, the same group which led a "tour" of Harvard's Center for International Affairs two days ago. Like the CFIA, the M. I. T. Center conducts non-classified social science research on international affairs and has been criticized by radicals for serving U. S. "imperialism."

Yesterday's demonstrators succeeded in keeping secretaries from their work after arriving at the Center at 11:30 a.m. The number of students dwindled gradually in the afternoon until, by 3 p.m., all had left.

Max F. Millikan, director of the Center, called the demonstration "by and large a useful exercise and a good interchange." He added, "It was a little too disruptive, but it was one way to start a discussion of some of these issues."

Students assembled in front of M. I. T.'s "Building Seven" about 10:30 a.m. to hear several speeches. Phil Raup, a leader of the Rosa Luxemburg chapter of M. I. T. SDS, said, "The whole Center should be stopped, because it doesn't benefit anyone but the Pentagon."

Marchera Chant

At 11:05 a.m. the group began a 25 minute march to the Center's offices on the fourth floor of the Hermann Building They chanted most of the way-especially "Ho, Ho, Ho Chi Minh, the NFL is gonna win" and "Kick the ass of the ruling class, end war research." Two students carried NLF flags.

The only violence of the entire demonstration occurred when two people pushed several radicals in the Building Seven hallway. The first attacker called the demonstrators "foreheads" who were "killing American troops."

Robert L. Bishop 37 dean of M. I. T.'s School of Humanities and Social Sciences, addressed the students after they reached the fourth floor central foyer of the Hermann Building. "If this is a friendly visit, we are willing to talk," he said inviting students to hold "discussions in individual offices."

The demonstrators were unimpressed. "We know all about the Center: we want to shut it down," one said. "We don't want these guys to work today, tomorrow, or ever again." another added.

At this point Bishop told the group that "there will be consequences in the event of a disruption." But he was yelled down when he tried to read a statement which he said had been authorized by M. I. T. President Howard W. Johnson.

The demonstrators then split into about six groups, which went to various offices on the fourth floor. Each group centered around a staff member of the Center Ithiel de Sola Pool, chairman of M. I. T.'s Political Science Department and early proponent of the controversial "Cambridge Project," drew the biggest crowd-about 50 in the foyer.

Sporting a "No MIRV" button, Pool said that University research must be based on "an article of faith-that the dissemination of knowledge will lead to the general good. We have learned things that could make the Defense Department more humane and decent."

At 1:40 p. m.-after Pool had finished speaking-an elevator at the side of the foyer opened, and about 20 young people emerged. "We're from B. U.," one explained. "You're late," he was told.

Millikan said he hopes hat yesterday's demonstration "can be followed up by more serious and leisurely seminar-type discussions on specific Center projects. It's hard to have a decent discussion in a room jammed with people."

Want to keep up with breaking news? Subscribe to our email newsletter.

Tags