Activists Plan Breather in Wake of Rally

With several of their key demands met, organizers of the "Rally for Justice" said yesterday that they would put down their placards for a little while.

"The first thing I'm going to do is take a break," said Benjamin L. McKean '02, a Progressive Student Labor Movement (PSLM) member who helped organize the group's antisweatshop campaign.

During the rally Tuesday, the University announced it would disclose the locations of the factories that manufacture Harvard insignia items--"possibly the central demand of the sweatshop campaign," according to McKean.

"At other schools it has taken students hundreds strong to win," McKean added.

The rally, scheduled to coincide with the full Faculty meeting held inside University Hall, attracted around 350 supporters of PSLM, the Coalition Against Sexual Violence (CASV) and the Living Wage Campaign. The students encircled University Hall, chanting slogans advocating higher wages for University employees, changes in policies regarding sweatshop labor and increased resources for rape survivors.

Members of CASV said they were pleased by the Faculty's decision to dismiss D. Drew Douglas, Class of 2000, after an Administrative Board finding that a rape had occurred. Douglas had pled guilty in Middlesex Superior Court on Sept. 24, 1998, to a charge of indecent assault and battery.

But CASV members also said they have a long way to go before they are satisfied with the College's policies on the issue.

"For us, this is definitely about more than this one case," said Alexis B. Karteron '01, a CASV member.

She said future CASV action will probably involve more dialogue with administrators.

"I don't think we'll be planning a rally anytime soon," Karteron said. "We're just going to keep doing what we've been doing over the past year, trying to keep meeting with administrators to tell them the importance of this issue again and again."

CASV's demands include a 24-hour rape crisis center and a rape education program for first-year stu- received the bulk of the media attentionsurrounding the event. Most local news broadcastsomitted coverage of PSLM and the Living WageCampaign.

"We jumped on [the other groups'] bandwagon butthe coverage ended up coming to us, which isunfortunate because we believe in what they weretrying to do also," Karteron said.

But other groups say they still benefited fromthe alliance. Even members of the Living WageCampaign, who walked away from the protestempty-handed, said they were pleased with theother groups' success.

"I can't see any way in which a victory for oneof these groups is not a victory for the others,"said Justin B. Wood '98-'99, who is a member ofthe Living Wage Campaign.

"It shows when you're on the right side ofthings, the University may eventually listen," headded.

Wood said the Living Wage Campaign has not hadas much time to develop a support base as theother two causes had.

"It's only been going for a month," he said. "Icould see how it might get overshadowed by thegroups that have a little higher publicity."

Living Wage Campaign supporters said they planto meet with University administrators to discusstheir demands. Members of the group met with Deanof Students Archie C. Epps III before the rally onTuesday, but said they want to meet with ahigher-ranking official who has the power toimplement the changes they desire.

Wood said Living Wage Campaign members are notplanning on holding more rallies in the nearfuture.

"There are many other ways to put pressure onpeople in power," he said.

But for the moment, rally organizers arecelebrating the effectiveness of protest.

"This shows the right way to approach theadministration is through a combination of directaction and negotiation," McKean said. "That's theonly way to win things from them."

Rally organizers said working together formedbonds between the groups that will be useful inthe future.

"The three campaigns worked seamlesslytogether," said Benjamin O. Shuldiner '99, a PSLMmember. "At the HUCTW [Harvard Union of Clericaland Technical Workers] office the night before therally, the place was packed, and everyone from thethree groups was just hanging out together, makingposters."

"There really was a sense of community," headded.

Shuldiner said he hopes the groups can maintainthat sense of community now that the rally isover.

"There's no question that after a large rallylike we had yesterday there will be somedissipation of energy, but I think the rallycreated connections that weren't there before, sothat we know that we can count on the other groupsfor help," Shuldiner said

"We jumped on [the other groups'] bandwagon butthe coverage ended up coming to us, which isunfortunate because we believe in what they weretrying to do also," Karteron said.

But other groups say they still benefited fromthe alliance. Even members of the Living WageCampaign, who walked away from the protestempty-handed, said they were pleased with theother groups' success.

"I can't see any way in which a victory for oneof these groups is not a victory for the others,"said Justin B. Wood '98-'99, who is a member ofthe Living Wage Campaign.

"It shows when you're on the right side ofthings, the University may eventually listen," headded.

Wood said the Living Wage Campaign has not hadas much time to develop a support base as theother two causes had.

"It's only been going for a month," he said. "Icould see how it might get overshadowed by thegroups that have a little higher publicity."

Living Wage Campaign supporters said they planto meet with University administrators to discusstheir demands. Members of the group met with Deanof Students Archie C. Epps III before the rally onTuesday, but said they want to meet with ahigher-ranking official who has the power toimplement the changes they desire.

Wood said Living Wage Campaign members are notplanning on holding more rallies in the nearfuture.

"There are many other ways to put pressure onpeople in power," he said.

But for the moment, rally organizers arecelebrating the effectiveness of protest.

"This shows the right way to approach theadministration is through a combination of directaction and negotiation," McKean said. "That's theonly way to win things from them."

Rally organizers said working together formedbonds between the groups that will be useful inthe future.

"The three campaigns worked seamlesslytogether," said Benjamin O. Shuldiner '99, a PSLMmember. "At the HUCTW [Harvard Union of Clericaland Technical Workers] office the night before therally, the place was packed, and everyone from thethree groups was just hanging out together, makingposters."

"There really was a sense of community," headded.

Shuldiner said he hopes the groups can maintainthat sense of community now that the rally isover.

"There's no question that after a large rallylike we had yesterday there will be somedissipation of energy, but I think the rallycreated connections that weren't there before, sothat we know that we can count on the other groupsfor help," Shuldiner said