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History of Student and Faculty Activism on Campus
To protest the poor condition of Boston University's African-American curriculum, on April 25, 1968, African-American students conducted a sit-in and locked BU President Dr. Arland F. Christ-Janer out of his office for 12 hours. Umoja, BU’s Black Student Union, put forward ten demands to Dr. Christ-Janer and got nine of them approved that included the creation of a Martin Luther King Chair of Social Ethics, expansion of African-American library resources and tutoring services, opening an "Afro-American coordinating center", admission and selection of more Black students and faculty. No disciplinary action was taken against the students who only opened the chains after their demands were met. “There was no surprise, or feeling of victory on the students’ parts," said Dr. Christ-Janer in response to the sit-in. "They had confidence in their demands, and I had a confidence in them. The university, black and white alike, was the winner.”

The late twentieth century saw a culmination in student activism at Boston University during the presidency of John R. Silber. In 1972, student protests rose against the university administration’s endorsement of Marine Corps recruitment on campus which faced significant opposition from the Student Democratic Society. On March 27 1972, 50 police officers in “riot gear” diffused a demonstration of 150 protesters at 195 Bay State Rd, the BU Placement Office, where Marine recruiters were holding student interviews. A few protesters were arrested while some suffered minor injuries, including a student and two officers. Contrary to student claims of a peaceful protest, Silber said “Civilization doesn’t abdicate in face of barbarism. Those students or nonstudents who deliberately seek violent confrontation and refuse all efforts at peaceful resolution of issues must expect society to use its police power in its own defense.” In response to Silber’s decision of a forceful police intervention, the Faculty State conducted a vote on Silber’s resignation which could not pass due to a " vote of 140-25 with 32 abstentions." As a result of this failed motion, Peter P. Gabriel resigned his position as the dean of Boston University’s School of Management in protest of Silber’s presidency and his “counterproductive” leadership. Silber’s support of military recruitment on campus, which he pushed to make the university eligible for Federal grants, caused other demonstrations. On December 5, 1972, fifteen BU Student Government officers started a three-day hunger strike at Marsh Chapel demanding Silber “to file a lawsuit against the Federal government challenging the constitutionality of the Herbert Amendment.”

On March 16, 1978, about 900 Boston University students gathered at the George Sherman Union to protest against the $400 rise in tuition and $150 rise in housing charges declared by the trustees on March 7th. The protest interrupted a board of trustees conference. While John Silber and Arthur GB Metcalf, the Chairman of the board of trustees, were negotiating with Student Government representatives to discuss the matter further on a separate occasion, the protesters marched into the building from two entrances, effectively trapping 40 trustees and 10 university administrators in the building for over thirty minutes. Twenty officers from the Boston University Police Department had to disperse the crowd from the stairwells. The protest resulted in the arrest of 19 year old Joshua Grossman while another student and two BUPD officers were taken to hospitals.

On November 27, 1979, the Committee to Defend Iranian Students- composed of Iranian students, Youths Against Foreign Fascism and the Revolutionary Communist Party- held a demonstration at the George Sherman Union against the deposed Shah of Iran and the deportation of Iranian students from the US. “To the Iranian people, that man (the shah) is Adolf Hitler,” students protested. “The Shah Must Face the Wrath of the People”. This was met with chants of “God Bless America” from the opposing group. 20 policemen broke up the confronting parties though no arrests were made.