May 3, 1985

Hundreds of students were “slowed down” Monday by demonstrators protesting the nuclear arms race, as part of a nationwide “No Business as Usual” campaign.

Students gathered at Wilder and King, encouraging people to alter their daily routines.

Nearly 60 students occupied Wilder Hall late Sunday night in an attempt to close the building until 1 p.m. the next day.

“We are asking people to think about the nuclear threat” said one organizer. “For a time we are trying to separate ourselves from a system that perpetrates the arms race.”

“It’s also a demonstration of personal power and control,” said another organizer. “By taking control of our lives, we are destroying the myth of helplessness against the system.”

By 8 a.m. Monday, close to 40 protesters gathered on the front steps of Wilder, outside DeCafé and inside the mailroom. As the morning wore on, sympathizers joined the protesters in the mailroom, nearly doubling the number.

Using wooden blockades, signs and paper mache missiles, protesters partially blocked the doors to King, asking people to enter through the courtyard.

At 11:30 a.m., horns blew inside King and sirens sounded across Wilder Bowl. Two minutes of complete silence followed, broken by a burst of applause.

Finally, with another round of applause, the “slow down” ended at 1 p.m. Nearly 200 students then formed a circle and chanted “No more war,” and ran toward the center of the bowl.

Shouting “Peace now,” demonstrators destroyed a paper mache missile that was originally to have been launched from the roof of Mudd library.

“By occupying a student rather than an administrative building, we did not to make this into an ‘us’ against ‘them’ issue,” said one student. “We want everyone to ask questions, not necessarily provide answers.”