Harris and Fleming State Views on Fracas

Trouble On S. University

An unidentified police officer, injured
by a thrown object, is placed into an am-
bulance during the disturbance on S. Uni-
versity Avc. (top picture). Rocks, bottles

and bricks were thrown indiscriminately,
injuring police and youths. Police begin
clearing youths from S. University Ave.
(bottom picture) near S. Forest.

Statement Texts Given

Harris And Fleming
State Views On Fracas

The Mayor

s< AN OPEN LETTER TO THE
UNIVERSITY STUDENT COM-
MUNITY

"From: Mayor Robert J. Har-
ris

"The sad events of last night
were not a 'police riot'; they
were not Chicago all over
again. On Monday night a
group of young people, almost
none of them from the Univer-
sity, attempted to take over a
^v street. Last night a group

.cmpted to take over the
same street again. The group
came armed withbottles,
cement, bricks and other weap-
ons and lay down in the street.
When the police ordered them
to leave, one youth attacked a

police office with a knife and
others threw rocks at the
police.

"In the course of the evening,
as police tried to keep crowds
off the street, they were time
and again pelted with large
rocks — from people in the
crowds and on top of buildings.

< many students feel toward the
police. I am sure rumors are
flourishing. But in this case I
ask students to listen to the
facts about the incident. Fifteen
law enforcement officers were
taken to the hospital with inju-
ries. Seven young people were
taken to the hospital. About 45
arrests were made.

"I have discussed this with
President Fleming. He ex-
pressed his respect for the re-
straint of the Ann Arbor Police
and from the time he was on the
street until the matter was un-
der control, the police showed
great restraint in the face of
rocks, bottles and abuse from
the non-students, which was ob-
viously trying to bring on a
confrontation.

"We will not allow S,
University to be taken over by
a small group who declare
themselves to be the people. I
hope there is no further trouble
along S. University. I ask stu-
dents, in the event' of further
trouble, to stay off the streets
and not join in."

The University President

"The disturbance in Ann
Arbor last night was not relat-
ed to the University of Mich-
igan in the issue sense.

"The confrontation between
the police and some non-student
young people arose over the
insistence of the latter on tak-
ing over an area of the street
adjacent to the campus.

"When the police cleared the
crowd away, they necessarily
pushed them along streets and
areas which ;• ^ he heart of
the campus. ^ were in
those areas and became a part
of the crowd.

"In the initial clearing pror
ess some police squads i '
.smoke and tear gas bombs. 1

ught this was unfortunate,
oecause in the one case to
which I was immediately
exposed there was no resis-
tance and the use of those
is tended to excite the
perhaps more than it
helped.

"From approximately 10 p.m.
until approximately 1:15 a.m., I
was on the streets attempting
to keep the crowd, particularly
students, away from the police.
The police withdrew to the
block in which the original
trouble occurred. During this
period, despite the fact that the
^'^ice were simply standing

ird and were not being used
o^cnsively, some young row-
dies who were rbviously itching

Are Merchants
Fully Insured?

for a confrontation threw rocks
and bottles at them.

' ' T h e police exercised
remarkable restraint.

"Around 1 a.m., the police
indicated that they were going
to clear the dwindling crowds
and they gave me an opportuni-
ty to announce this. The clear-
ing process then ' ^ ^lace in a
very orderly fa;'

"Many University students
and faculty members came out

Arthur French, president of
the Independent Insurance
Agents of Ann Arbor, said
today that he could not state
whether the merchants on S.
I' carried insurance
th 'Id cover extensive
dama.^ night be done in
possibh hi' r'> disorders

Basic insurance policies do
not usually provide such cover-
age but there are two added
provisions that apply; a van-
dalism and malicious mischief
clause, and a riot and civil dis-
order provision.

An extended period of disor-
der could mean trouble in the

to help maintain a measure of
calm in the crowd. To them and
to all of the students who
cooperated in avoiding a great-
e r confrontation with the
police, I am grateful.

"The greatest contribution
that those of us in the Universi-
ty area can make to the easing
of tensions is to stay out of the
area of S. and E. University
Aves., until the trouble is
over."

future for the merchant seeking
to obtain such coverage or even
a merchant wanting to renew a
present policy that has such
provision, French said. Insur-
ance companies just would not
issue policies with vandalism or
civil disorder clauses or would
stick such a high premium on it
that would be too costly to any
merchant. This is what hap-
pened in Detroit, French added.

pnci'pp^eiTtpn in tbp area said
the: nt at this
time Mni* U..A liol wii>ii to express
their feelings but might have
something to say at a later
date. „-