Several protesters held a sit-in Monday in SF State's ROTC office as part of a Bay Area-wide anti-war demonstration.
But the turnout on campus was minuscule compared to downtown's demonstration.
The sit-in, called "No Business as Usual," started Monday morning in the psychology building when the protesters, dressed in makeshift funeral outfits and spray-painted garb, staged a mock nuclear war by throwing "radioactive" dust and "dying.
"Two students feigned sickness and emptied cans of creamed corn, symbolizing vomit, on the floor.
But the action did not start for Bay Area protesters until later that.
evening in the Financial District when more than 40 people were arrested.
According to the San Francisco Chronicle, about 200 protesters "'went wild" at Union Square at 6 p.m. when they "pushed and shoved customers" at the Saks Fifth Avenue department store.
The article also said the protesters knocked down pedestrians and broke windows.
The response at SF State was nonviolent and, according to Department of Public Safety Lt. Kim Wible, no arrests were made.
"They are exercising their right to protest," she said.
Wible also said that DPS had "pre-planned" for the event, and was there only to monitor the actions of the protesters.
But the lack of support from students irritated one demonstrator.
"People have to start acting to stop World War III," said Pete, who refused to give his last name.
Two of the protesters stayed in the ROTC office until late afternoon while several other protesters tried to get into the New Administration building.
They gave up after DPS locked the building, an officer said.
[ back to Golden Gater Online May 2, 1986 ]
[ back to top ]