Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.3 4.3bsd-beta 6/6/85; site mit-eddie.MIT.EDU Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!allegra!mit-eddie!lkk From: lkk@mit-eddie.MIT.EDU (Larry Kolodney) Newsgroups: net.politics,net.college Subject: Eight MIT students arrested in Apartheid protest Message-ID: <1292@mit-eddie.MIT.EDU> Date: Sun, 16-Mar-86 00:42:40 EST Article-I.D.: mit-eddi.1292 Posted: Sun Mar 16 00:42:40 1986 Date-Received: Mon, 17-Mar-86 03:23:51 EST Distribution: net Organization: M.I.T. EE/CS Computer Facility, Cambridge MA Lines: 81 Keywords: Shanties, MIT, Apartheid, Fascism Xref: watmath net.politics:13971 net.college:1229 Eight MIT Students Arrested The MIT Campus Police, assisted by the Cambridge police, arrested eight members of the MIT Coalition Against Apartheid early Friday morning as the students resisted the destruction of a shantytown that had been constructed on the Kresge Oval 12 days earlier. About 20 MIT physical plant workers arrived at approximately 7AM, and awoke the 4 people who were sleeping inside of the shanties. They were ordered to leave. A few minutes later, other Coalition members arrived and, along with those who had been sleeping, climbed atop one of the shanties and refused to move, chanting "MIT out of Alexandra" [Alexandra was the name of the shantytown, after a real one in South Africa]. William Dickson, senior vice president of MIT, arrived and read a prepared statement, informing the students that they had 5 minutes to leave or be arrested. Approximately five minutes later, with no final warning, the police rushed the shanties and arrested 8 students, including two who were on the ground, one of whom (me) was photographing the event. --------------- The MIT Coalition Against Apartheid is a group of students, faculty and staff at MIT who are working in support of the liberation struggle of the Black majority in South Africa. We come from a wide variety of political persuasions, from Republican to Marxist. For the past nine months, MIT CAA has been waging a campaign for MIT to divest from its holdings of stocks doing business in South Africa, which culminated in the building of "Alexandra Township." This shantytown protest came after months of entreaties through official channels to the MIT Corporation were ignored. The MIT Coalition Against Apartheid feels that the destruction of the shanties and arrest of non-violent protesting students by MIT is an afront to academic freedom and tolerance. MIT launched this attack without prior warning and with little concern for the safety of the students involved. No specific reason for the removal was given. MIT seems to have little use for dissent on its campus. (A similar shantytown at Dartmouth was allowed to stay up for 2 months). Although the divestment issue is one of great concern to many members of students, faculty and staff, the MIT corporation has refused to meet with reprentatives of students or the MIT community at large to discuss the issue. With this action it has destroyed the first effective rallying point for political protest that MIT has had in years. If any individual students or student groups would like to send letters (or telegrams) of support for the "Alexandra Eight," please address them to: MIT Coalition Against Apartheid c/o Alex Rosen 4 Ames St. Cambridge, MA 02139 if you wish to indicate an opinion to the MIT administration, please send communication to President Paul E. Gray or Executive Vice President Constantine Simonides or Senior Vice President William Dickson at the following address: MIT 77 Massachusetts Ave. Cambridge, MA 02139 -- larry kolodney (The Devil's Advocate) UUCP: ...{ihnp4, decvax!genrad}!mit-eddie!lkk ARPA: lkk@mit-mc