Page Fourteen SCARLET AND BLACK Friday, ApriI i2. I9“ Where Can They Go? BERLIN PR‘OTESTS HEAD FOR VIOLENCE BERLIN, March 29 (LNS) -- Contrary to expectations the Vietnam Congress and demon< stration sponsored SDS (Social- Ist Democratic Students) In West Berlin on Feb. 17~IB went 0“ without mass violence. Willi a crowd much larger than anticipated —— the police estimated 10,000 and SDS claimed 20,000 _. t was all un< deniable success in shortamnge telms. What it means ill terms oi the future of the West. Ger- man student movement is not so sure. The movement is not a peace movement, but mainly a radi< cal Marxist anti-imperialist or- ganization. it is certainly the most radical student movement in Europe. This is in contrast, but probably naturally so, to the abiding conservatism and latent Nazism oi the West Ger- man bourgeoisie. Tile response of Berlin Citi- zenry and Constabulary to stu- dellt demands has been TepNS- slon and police brutality. The pattern of violent coir irontation with the police in Berlin has Continued unbroken since June 2, 1967, when, In clubbing and chasing demon~ strators protesting the visit or the Shah oi trap, the West Bei- lin police murdered 3 students (They shot him, unarmed, in the hack of the head.) Since then clashes were irequent and SDS became committed to ac< cepting violence as on every- day political tactic. PRESS DISTORTS Adding to the dangers of the situation is the open provoca- tion by the press owned by Alex Springer (70 per cent of the West Berlin press), which reg< ularly distorts and lies about the student movement and Ida cites violence against it. Springer has reason to four SDS, 85 one of the students‘ major projects is his public “trial.“ Not only his Nazi- ss past but the many lies told In his papers will be docu- mented, Using as an excuse some trailicstopping sitrdown dem- oustrations of several weeks ago, the West Berlin city gov- ernment banned the February 18 march. As Londoners trav- clad in West. Berlin, rumors were about that the authorities would prevent us from entering the city [or the Congress, SDS decided that the march would go on in any case, and its path was straight to the U.S. mill- taiy base; helmets and sticks as the Zengakuren use were to be issued to all participants for defense. MARCH LEGALIZED Late Saturday, with the Con— gl'ess in session and an agi- tated Crowd collected, the West Berlin Senat reversed Itself and legalized the march up in but not into the American seer tor. The general understanding was that the main pressure lor this about-iaco came from American military officials, anxious to avoid the embar- rassment oi students being beaten and probably killed. SDS chose to interpret this as a victory, and to adhere to a nonyioient tactic during the demonstration. Provocaiion was enormous and only the discl- phno oi the marchers prevent- ed street war-tare. The police, relllsing to offer protection to the demonstraa tors, disappeared completely. Along the march, provocateurs pushed, tripped and punched the demonstrators. Al the filial rally at the Opera (the scene OI the killing oi Eenno Ohnesol'g on June 2) they seized vict Cong and red flags planted on surrounding buildings by the demonstrators, set fire to them, and threw them into the crowd. At every threat to the order oi the dem- onstration the students would chant in unison: “Nicht provo- Ziel'en lasscn, nicht provozier- en lasscn” (Do not be pro- voked), this breaking the steady rhythm oi “HoHo- Hos CIll-Minh" and “NLF Vaincra" chants. MORE VIOLENCE DRUMMED UP Much more serious violenca was created by s pro-Ameri- can demonstration on Wedne5< day, drummed up by Berlin politicians, police, and Spring- er. The Springer press said 150,000 people attended. The repressive mentality oi the West German society and government has pushed its rad- icals into this total opposition to the system, Their aliena~ ti o it appears nnbridgeabie. They have little support from nDlH'adlCalS and can win con< cessions only through displays oi power. Accordingly they have a sophisticated under< standing of the ways of power, and the subtle and less subtle uses ol it to suppress libera- tion movements and to ntallh tain exploitative systems, The police oi West Bellill, sns says, are the marines oi Vietnam. Spurred on by Viet- namese courage they too have taught bravely. But when: can they goa W ' ' ' ' INTERNATIONAL DISPATCH ‘ ' ' ' NEWSFEATURES ' ' ‘ ' INTER NATIONAL DISPATCH ‘ ' ' —————-—————____~___________ By DAVID SALTMAN FLORENCE, Italy, April 9, '(CPS) — The ltalian student movement is still in embryo, and some skeptics say it has addied in the oviduct. Still, the kicking and squaw- ling oi the iniant movement is quite instructive to those in- terested in the care and ieed- ing oi student protest, There had been Virtually no action on the Italian student scene until this year. It's pretty clear that the activists here were spurred on by Successes oi well - organized protest movements in Germany, Hol- land, France and England. It’s also clear that some of the Italians didn’t bother to find out how to do the spadework necessary for efieclive action. The center oi student protest here is Florence. Movements of one kind or another have arisen In Turin, Pisa, Naples and Rome, but the Florentine move- ment is by far the best organ- lzed and most effective. In all these cities, though, the issues are the same: more student control of the universities. in italy the universities are run by an incredibly archaic system of “occupann” — old professors who make policy for an entire faculty. In the Unl< versity of Rome's education racuity, for instance, 35 old men are virtual slavemasters over the private and academic lives of 9,000 students. Lectures in the universules are all delivered “ex calhedra". This means that the old expert drones on and on and you‘re not allowed to ask ally ques- tions. There are no small sec- tions later on to discuss the lecture. The system was okay with ITALIAN STUDENT MOVEMENT everyone until this year. There had been periodic harmmphing about education reform in the Parliament, but it merely gave legislators an excuse to say “were doing everything we can." The combination of p u I) I I ll apathy, bureaucratic sluggish. ness, bureaucratic pompousness and student sycophancy jelled into astonishment when lhnu- sands of students held a dem- onstration in Piazza San Marco this January 30. it was a good demonstration, from the students’ point oi view: it was well-organized and wella attended, it made a fetish DI free speech and democratic tie- baie about university reform, and it got the cops out. Dozens oi cops. swinging night sticks and asking rnr identity cards Cop photographers snapping pic- tures of everyone in creation “for future reference." It also got Nicola Bovoli, 22, into the hospital lor eye and shoulder injuries due to stick- \vork. Bovoli has filed suit with the public prosecutor against the chiei of police and the rector of the university, because the rector called the caps in the lirst place. So in Florence the students have an absolutely golden issue: police brutality, cops on cam- pus, and academic reform. The leiioi—center parties (Social— Ist and Communist) are stauncllv 1y allied With the students and are raising hell daily in the Florence city council. There are signs of a split between those who just want the uni- verslly to get out of politics and those who want a political—but student - run - university, But the second issue can be resolved after the iil'sli The Florence demonstration immediately sparked one in Tur. in, two in Siena, two In Fish and several in Rome. But inves- tigation shows that the non- Florentines need some practice. in Rome, tor instance, on February 7, about fifty students gathered at the doors of the education (acuity With a good idea: a lockout. “No one gets through these doors until we have a democratic parley about 'occupanti,’ " read the sign they posted. People argued and slapped each other on the back. “Cool, man. A lockout. Cool." "Got To get rid or those ‘ocoupanti."’ “They’ll have to listen to u! now, by God.” Nothing much happened uillll a proiessor came along about noon, wanting to get in. “What‘s this?” “A lockout. Read the sign." “i’m going in!" The protessor was about five- loet . five and forty — five years old, and there were llity oi them. "Sorry, man. No one gets In." A ten-inc argument ensued, punctuated by ”Mama mia‘s” and everyone einoysd hiniseli hugely except the poor proles- sor, More professors came along and most. didn't even try to get In. it was going fine until halt a dozen workmen came up to the doors. Electricians and painters with work to do Inside,, led by a red-haired giant who looked like he could filing the protest leader clear over the Colosseum. lie sized up the siiuaiion at : glance. “Get outta my way." he growled in a voice that rattled the windows. Everyone shut up. And they got. The leader at tho lockout even opened the door for him. The demonstration dis- solved. Even with uniorgiveahle bung. Ies like ihls. the llalian public is starting to realize that stu- dent protest is here to stay. The conservative newspaper “L’Espresso” Says “The revolt ill the universities has become by now a fact of national poll- tics,” Though “L'Espresso" blames the “revolt" on “8X< trelnists' (people who read Herbert Marcusc, the paper says) no one has called the sub dents "Nervous Nellles" or ac- cused them of treason. When the Italian student movement is illlly born, at least it will have legitimate parents. iiiiiiiinillilillllllllllilllllllllllillllllllllllllllllllllliltlllllllllllllllllllllllltlllllllllilllllilllilllllliillllllllllllillllliltlillllllilllliltllllllllllillilillllllIIlllillllllillllllllllllllllllIinilllliillllllllllllltllllllllllllllllllillllllllllllllliilllllllll WILSON PICKETTED AT OXFORD OXFORD, England, April 10 (LNS) — Prime Minister Harold Wilson came to Oxiord recent- ly and was greeted by some zoo demonstrators protesting nearly all oi [he Labor Governments policies — though not too miia itantly, Arriving in atlend a ,dinner at University College where he once taught Ear nomics, Wilson was ushered lllsllle through a phalanx oi police to cries or “Wilson out, Socialism In," The PM, taking scant notice of his detractors, smiled and chatted \viih Ills hosts as he made his way into the college. There was no real violence, as the demonstrators made only halfrhearted eiiorts to break through the protective lines at Boobies. Though less exciting in it- soit, the demonstration was sig niiicani ill at least two ways. Police preparations showed an increasing uneasiness on the part oi allthorllles ill the wake of the March 17 demons ation Ill London. Where studeills and police battled fiercely for two hours beiore the American Eur brassy. At least torty cops were staa cloned on or near the front steps of University College, and the block on Which the College stands was ringed by more con- stables. It was later learned that iilty additional police were hidden in a nearby hotel, ready [or action if serious tmllble de- Veloped, Placards ranged in tone from “Oxford immigrants Oppose Wilson‘s Racialism" to “Dim Socials from US. Genocide" to “Wilson is a ’lory.” Whatever the specific complaint, people ielt that Harold Wilson should not be allowed lo Come within shouting distance without b9< ing shouted at. This is hap< pening to Wilson and members of his government with in. creasing frequency, as his pol- icies begin to look more and more bankrupt.