Newspaper Page Text
Page 4
Clark Atlanta University Panther
7 May 1992
Chronology
Continued from page 1
Friday 4 p.m.
Police fired teargas at students.
Major chaos began.
Friday 5:15 p.m.
Rodney King ask all Americans
to stop the violence.
Friday 7 p.m.
Police began dropping tear gas
from helicopters. Students
fled into dormitories.
Friday 8 p.m.
Police closed several major
streets around the AUC.
Saturday 1 p.m.
Dr. Cole met with students.
Also, CAU student president
elect Gregory Sims circulated a
letter around the AUC that
urged students not to rally.
Saturday 8 p.m.
Students held a candlelight
prayer vigil.
Sunday
Faculty and students met
throughout the day. Mayor
Jackson held an evening meet
ing with students.
Monday
Exams took place as scheduled.
Despite media reports that stu
dents had planned boycotts, there
were no noticable problems.
Tuesday
City councilmen and a police ser
geant met with students in a 4
p.m. dialogue at CAU-TV. Mayor
Jackson presented his "Three
Point Plan" to students at 7:30
p.m. in the gym.
Bookstore Vandalized During Protest
By Chandra R. Thomas
Lifestyles/Entertainment Editor
The Clark Atlanta University and
Morris Brown College campus book
store suffered extensive damages
as a result of arson, vandalism and
looting.
“Our troubles all started Thurs
day, April 28, when we were robbed,''
said James Simon, the store's as
sistant manager.
An undisclosed amount of cash
was stolen from the bookstore, lo
cated at 765 Fair St. and the comer
of James P. Brawley Dr. A police
report was filed with the Atlanta
Police Department (APD) but the
culprits remain at large. A suspect
was taken into custody by the APD.
but was released due to a lack of
information.
“We aren't definite, but the sus
pect may have been a student on
[the Atlanta University Center) cam
pus,'' Simon said.
Simon added that between the
hours of 1 a.m. and 4 a.in. Friday,
the store was set ablaze when a
rock followed by a glass bottle con
taining a flammable material shat
tered the store's window facing
James P. Brawley Dr.
“We think the bomb hit the candy
and pen displays and then ignited
the carpet," said stock clerk Michael
Brown.
The incident is currently being
investigated by the Atlanta Fire De
partment (AFD) and the Bureau of
Arms. Tobacco and Fire Arms
(BATFA), a federal agency.
Between 5 p.m. and 7 p.m. Fri
day the undamaged windows fac
ing Fair St. were shattered by bricks
and the bookstore was looted.
“Reverend Easley (CAU Chaplain]
was an eye witness," Simon said.
“Somebody threw five or six bricks
in the windows and people just
started jumping in."
Simon said the looters stole items
ranging from “sweatshirts to hats and
even candy from the store."
Brown, who Ikes down the street
from the store, said. “1 saw a male
student corning out of the window
carrying four sweatshirts. Then people
just started corning out of their apart
ments from University Homes."
Simon described the damage as
“very' heavy." but said he could not
yet set the exact dollar amount.
“Not one item in the store wasn't
affected by the fire and looting," he
said.
“Chaos." Simon said, defined
the state of the store when he re
turned.
When asked what he felt the
motives of the looters were. Brown
said. “They just went buck wild. 1
guess they were trying to prove a
point about the [Rodney King] ver
dict. But it's really ignorant to
steal.”
Because of the extensive dam
ages. students are required to make
exchanges at the front of the store
and minimal purchases are cur
rently being entertained.
“It's kind of stupid that they
[AUC students] would steal from
the place where they buy books to
learn,” said Brown regarding the
looting incident. “This [the book
store) is a place for learning, not to
break in for."
The store owners. Interstate Text -
book Services, had no comment on
the incident.
Mayor speaks to CAU
continued from page 2
represent 12 percent of the nations
population. Using violence is stra
tegically unsound. We must use
the tools we do have, the ballot, the
buck, and the book.
“We possess the tools now, but
we do not utilize them. We are
inactive, apathetic, and worrying
more about 'Freak Nic' than voter
registration."
Students and faculty questioned
the mayor about his non-violent
stance, but why were his police
officers so violent towardthem. They
questioned why they came on cam
pus and who gave the orders to fire
tear gas.
“It was a police operation to keep
students from going downtown, but
it was not a command decision for
them to come on campus,” said
Jackson. 'That decision was made
by authorities that were on the
scene. The decision to teargas the
crowd was also not our decision. I
had the authority to call the police
back, but I was not aware of the
situation."
Most of the crowd was in an
uproar at the mayor's response.
One faculty member made a state
ment of how the city had embar
rassed the school and its faculty
and administrators.
“This is not South Africa.” said
Cecillia Siglar. “There is a way to do
things properly, and this certainly
was not the case. We didn't need
you to come to private property.
The faculty could have takencare of
the situation.
“We thank you for coming here
today, and your rhetoric was good,
but you owe us a formal apology."
A Stt/djwvt Publication Servtno Thk CAU Community
• bringing the
Nexus to you.
This special edition of The Panther
was produced by Managing Editor
Anthony George, a senior public
relations major.
Stories were contributed by
Chandra Thomas, freshman jour
nalism major; Weldon Bishop IV,
junior public relations major; and
Anthony George.
All photographs are by Curtis
McDowell, campus photographer.
Advisers for this edition were Ann
Wead Kimbrough, Tom Hallman
and Linda McKinnie.
Top left: Dr. Larry Earvin.
Dean of Student Affairs, walks
the gauntlet between riot police
and students.
Top right: Police and demow
strators clash on campus behind
McPheeters-Dennis Hall.
Left: An overturned car blazes
out of control on James P.
Brawley Drive next to the campus
bookstore.
—mmmmmmmmir*—■