An estimated 300 anti-ROTC demonstrators forced their way onto the grounds of President Pusey's Quincy Street house at midnight yesterday to tack onto Pusey's front door a list of six demands concerning ROTC and Harvard's relations with local communities.
The action came after a four-hour meeting sponsored by SDS during which a proposal to occupy University Hall immediately was three times defeated by narrow margins.
The demonstrators will hold a rally at noon today in front of Memorial Church to discuss--and perhaps to initiate at that time "militant action" for the acceptance of the demands. The militant action is understood to be the occupation of a building, and perhaps a student strike.
Dean Ford said last night, "I have never heard of anyone seizing a building here, so I have no particular comment to make now." Neither Pusey nor Dean Glimp was available for comment.
The six demands of the demonstrators are:
* "Abolish ROTC immediately by breaking all existing ROTC contracts and not entering into any new ones.
* "Replace all ROTC scholarships with University scholarships.
* Restore all scholarships to the Paine Hall demonstrators.
* "Roll back rents in Harvard University-owned buildings to the level of January 1, 1968.
* "No destruction of black workers' homes around the Medical School.
* "No destruction of University Road apartments for the construction of the Kennedy School."
The approximately 450 persons who attended the meeting in Lowell Lecture Hall began to march shortly before midnight from the hall to Pusey's house, chanting "ROTC must go--now," and "No expansion, smash ROTC" as they went. When they arrived at their destination they found the gates of Pusey's house closed and guarded by University policemen. The policemen had arrived about ten minutes before.
As the crowd surged against the smaller center gate, a University policeman said, "I'm going to smash your fingers if you touch that gate." Miss Jessie L. Gill, a local nurses's aide and chairman of a tenants' union in a Harvard-owned apartment building, pushed the policeman back, forced the gate open, and went onto the grounds.
The University policeman attempted to stop the crowd from coming in the central gate and the automobile gate to the north of it. Several policemen and demonstrators exchanged blows; the policemen--overpowered by the demonstrators--stepped aside to allow them to enter freely. No injuries were reported.
When the head of the crowd came to the portico at the front of the house, SDS co-chairman Michael Kazin '70 knocked on the front door, received no answer, and then tacked the six demands on the door. Two University policemen standing nearby did not interfere.
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THE WEEK AT HARVARD