Text of Yesterday's Statements

Statement released yesterday by Vice President and General Counsel Daniel Steiner '54

Today's ugly incident illustrates the serious dangers of using coercive techniques to serve any cause, even one to which all of us are committed.

Opposition to apartheid does not justify interference with rights fundamental to this country and Harvard University. Individuals have the right to speak without fear of physical intimidation. This right includes the ability to enter and to leave the premises of the University. The coercive actions of a relatively small number of students and outsiders interfered with the rights of the speaker and the rights of the members of the community who wanted to hear him. These actions do a disservice to the University and do not serve the came of ending apartheid in South Africa.

According to bystanders, during the incident the speaker was grabbed and pushed. There were physical encounters among students of differing views. When in the interest of public safety the police escorted the speaker out of the room, they needed to push their way through the group blocking them. Unfortunately, there were a few injuries which, as of now appear minor.

Despite the claims of non-violence, the coercive actions of some protestors today are inherently violent. They beat little relationship to the non-violent traditions of civil disobedience that have been used by noble opponents of injustive in the past.

I expect that disciplinary proceedings will be initiated.

Statement released yesterday by Dean of the College John B. Fox Jr. '59:

I am disappointed by the behavior of some student at today's protest. An attempt was made in prevent the South African Consul General of New York from entering Lowell House, and at the conclusion of his meeting with the Conservative Club, he was prevented from leaving for some time. Some students threatened to know him from leaving until midnight. There was in traordinary lack of regard for the fundamental principles of freedom of speech and freedom of movement. The incident will, of course, be discussed with the Faculty Council, and I expect that it will be referred to one of the disciplinary bodies of the College.

Excerpts from a statement released last night by an ad hoc committee of participants in yesterday's blockade:

We are disgusted and angered by the events that took place at Howell House today. We are disgusted that the Conservative Club chose to honor a representative of the universally abhorred South African government at a luncheon, and we are angered that contrary to earlier promises made by the Conservative Club president, the post-luncheon discussion was not open to people who wished to attend (the protesters stated that they did not intend to disrupt the speaker)

We are also disgusted at the University administration's initiation of violence and the administrators' distortion of the facts.

The statements released by Dean Fox and Vice-President Steiner this evening betray a profound ignorance of the reasons for the protest that occured. Their blanket approval of the conduct of the University Police is particularly disturbing in light of the officer, obvious use of excessive force against non-violent demonstrators. Also extremely disturbing was the Harvard Police's use of untrained students and non-Harvard security agents to act on the Police's behalf, using force against Harvard students.

While we realize that both sides became violent toward the end of the demonstration, we hold the University Administration and the Harvard Police wholly responsible for the initiation and subsequent escalation of violence. We take complete responsibility for our actions in opposition to an agent of the South African government, and hope the University will acknowledge the irregular and inexcusable actions of University officials today. What is amazing and shocking is that the Harvard administration and police showed more concern for a person who openly espouses institutionalized racism, than for the welfare of Harvard students.