March From City Hall to Mass. Hall Draws 300

Approximately 320 people marched down Mass. Ave. from Cambridge City Hall in Central Square to Massachusetts Hall yesterday afternoon.

The marchers included Harvard students and most of the Cambridge City Council-but the majority of those who congregated at City Hall at 4 p.m. were people from Carpenter's Union Local 40, Jobs with Justice and other organizations.

An ad taken out in The Cambridge Chronicle also attracted some residents, according to City Councillor Michael Sullivan.

Speaking out of a megaphone for the burgeoning crowd before the march began, City Councillor Kathleen L. Born emphasized the fact that Cambridge, which she said has $19 million in its bank account, had already enacted a living wage.

"If Cambridge can afford this, Harvard can afford this," Born said.

Born and her coworkers-also present--were councilors across the spectrum of Cambridge scale of politics, expressed gratitude to Progressive Student Labor Movement (PSLM) in their remarks.

"A big, big thank you to Harvard students for being the conscience of our

community here," Born said.

Ricken S. Patel, a Kennedy School of Government student, kicked off the march by emphasizing Cambridge's contribution.

"The Cambridge community, in passing this ordinance, has shown its conscience. Let's bring our conscience to Harvard University" he said.

To a variety of chants in both English and Spanish, carrying makeshift drums, and waving banners emblazoned with everything from the universal sign of anarchy to "String Theorists for a Living Wage," the marchers followed a slow pace.

Although the march attracted attention, there were no major mishaps and traffic was not disrupted. Approximately 20 Cambridge police officers on foot, bicycles and motorcycles kept the march from spilling into the road by standing at the edge and saying "Keep on the sidewalk" to wayward marchers.

The march took a minor detour in Quincy Square-to the surprise of the management of the Inn at Harvard-and a theater troupe called Class Act did a parody of the "Harvard University Administrative Drill Team."

Matt G. Borus, parodying an administrative leader, asked the other members to calculate the status of a family of four living off the average wages of two Harvard employees.

"How would you describe the condition of this family?" asked Borus.

"Ummmm.... Not dead sir," replied another troupe member, Basav Sen.

"Then wouldn't you call that a living wage?!" shouted Borus, to the laughter and catcalls of the marchers.

The march successfully entered the Yard. Once there the chanting crowd heard from student speakers, union workers and City Councillor Kenneth E. Reeves `72.

Reeves, speaking to the remaining 28 students inside Mass. Hall, who watched the rally from the windows of the occupied building, urged them to hold strong to their convictions.

"I implore you, do not leave this building until we get the $10.25," Reeves said.

The City Council, which last Monday requested a meeting with Rudenstine to discuss the living wage campaign, still had no official word yesterday, according to Councillor Sullivan, although they were hopeful.

"I think Rudenstine's concession to even talk about it is a big step forward," Sullivan said.

--Staff writer Lauren R. Dorgan can be reached at dorgan@fas.harvard.edu.

--Garrett M. Graff contributed to reporting of this story.