Word: kent
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Dates: during 1980-1989
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Epps informed the approximately 15 students identified by the University as being involved in the blockade that they face charges for putting South African Vice Consul Duke Kent-Brown "in physical fear of his safety...,[for having] participated in a forceable blockade," and for interfering with University police...
...answers to these questions lie in appreciating time-honored protest tactics by those who wish to offer alternative views. Just as Duke Kent-Brown has the right to speak, the Black Students Association has the right to heckle, even though heckling makes speaking more difficult. And when members of the Southern Africa Solidarity Committee blocked two of three exists to the Science Center auditorium, ideally forcing Kent-Brown to exit past demonstrators in the Science Center courtyard, they made movement difficult but by no means impossible. As long as protesters respect the peaceful limitations inherent to civil disobedience, their actions...
...administration must take it upon itself to ensure that controversial speakers enjoy their rights. In the recent case, police, presumably acting with the pre-ordained blessing of the administration, reacted almost instantaneously to SASC's blockade by clearing one of the two blocked exists and whisking the confused Duke Kent-Brown out of the room. The speaker did not return to the room and the audience was cleared out. Despite claims to the contrary by Dean of the Faculty Michael Spence, the police and administrators on the scene might well have exercised other options. They should have dealt fairly...
...thing, authorities did not necessarily have to remove Kent-Brown from the auditorium as if he were in physical danger. The protesters did not touch or other wise physically accost him. He could have continued his oration with the protest in progress and exited at its conclusion. In another possible scenario, Police could have allowed Kent-Brown to return to the podium after a brief period of administrative action within the auditorium. Dean of Students Archie C. Epps might have negotiated with protesters; police might have removed them from the exists and escorted them out of the Science Center...
...Duke Kent-Brown is neither the first nor the last person subject to action by protesters while visiting Harvard. He and others like him should have their right to speak protected. But in guaranteeing that right, the administration must not ignore the option of students to demonstrate their opposition by civil disobedience. Instead, police and other officials should take it upon themselves to assure that a speech reaches its proper conclusion, even if such assurances require negotiation with or removal of demonstrators on the scene. Instead of adopting a defensive, defeatist attitude, officials should enforce freedoms of speech and movement...