Hundreds at Rally Call for Labor Reforms, Rape Resources

Many protesters in yesterday's "Rally for Justice" held their ground for more than three hours. In the end, they were freezing cold. They were hoarse. But they were happy.

About halfway through the rally, the protesters learned that the University had agreed to one of their demands: it would advocate full disclosure of the locations of factories that manufacture Harvard apparel.

"That's phenomenal!" yelled Elizabeth C. Vladeck '99, the rally's emcee, as she read the University press release in front of University Hall.

And when the news finally reached ralliers at 6:30 p.m. that the Faculty had voted to dismiss D. Drew Douglas, Class of 2000, rally organizers said the long hours in 30 degree weather had been worth it.

"The rally absolutely served its purpose," Vladeck said.

About 350 students joined three campus activist groups in the rally designed to protest Harvard's involvement in overseas sweatshops, to fight for higher wages for University employees and to urge the faculty to take a firmer stand on sexual assault.

The rally, organized by the Progressive Students Labor Movement (PSLM), the Coalition against Sexual Violence (CASV) and the Living Wage Campaign, was planned to coincide with the full Faculty meeting that began at 4 p.m. in University Hall.

The rally began on the steps of Memorial Church at 2:30 p.m. with a chant of "Hey Harvard, here's the word, student voices must be heard."

"We are organized, we are strong and we are determined to be heard on this campus," Vladeck announced to ralliers. She said the rally was inspired by "empty promises" from the "maze of the Harvard administration."

CASV member Brina Milikowsky '00 said Harvard does not have enough resources to handle sexual assault.

"Harvard does not take rape seriously," Milikowsky said. "The rape prevention and survivor resources lag far behind other schools."

As ralliers cheered each of her proclamations and waved signs with slogans such as "Rape Happens at Harvard," Milikowsky outlined the demands of the CASV, which include a mandatory first year outreach program dealing with sexual assault issues and a 24-hour rape crisis center.

Jeffrey D. Ballinger, a research associate at the Kennedy School and researcher on sweatshops, told the protesters they were "on the right track," but urged them to "do their homework." If students learned the specifics of sweatshops that make Harvard apparel, he said, they could more effectively fight to end their existence.

"That's the club you can beat them with," he said.

Daniel M. Hennefeld '99, a member of PSLM, took the microphone and outlined the group's demands for a strict University code of conduct against sweatshops.

PSLM demanded that Harvard require full disclosure of factory locations (which Faculty agreed to yesterday), guarantee a "living wage" for factory workers, establish an independent monitoring system and give students a "substantial" role in the decision-making process.

Arim Dube, a graduate student in economics visiting from the University of Chicago, spoke in support of the Living Wage campaign, which demands that Harvard pay a rate of $10 per hour to all its workers.

"It's not much, but it's a step in the right direction," he said.

At about 3:30 p.m., protesters moved to University Hall, where they formed a human chain around the building with corridors in front of each door to let the Faculty pass through. Vladeck emphasized that protesters were not to harass the Faculty.

"We don't need to keep them in there, because once they're in there, they'll wish they weren't," she said.

As they took their positions and began a chant of "No Justice, No Peace!" a group of students comping the Crimson Key Society scurried away from a lesson in front of the John Harvard statue.

While a group of students banged on bongo drums and television news crews fought for space on the stairs to University Hall, Rosslyn Wuchinich '99 circulated a petition from the CASV.

The petition, to be delivered to Dean of the College Harry R. Lewis '68, echoed many of Milikowsky's demands, calling for a 24-hour rape crisis center and more sexual assault awareness programs.

As Faculty members began to trickle into the building and the students' clapping and drumming continued, Epps stepped outside for a few moments, largely unnoticed. He called the day's events "very interesting."

"The best way to achieve something at Harvard is to make your case," Epps said.

Among the crowd of shouting students, Benjamin O. Shuldiner '99 prepared for the moment of questioning University President Neil L. Rudenstine about sweatshops.

"I'm going to ask the president what his belief on full public disclosure [of factory locations] is, and what Harvard's commitment is," he said.

Shuldiner also said his positions as a PSLM member and Undergraduate Council representative gave him the opportunity to organize yesterday's rally. Since his council position on the Committee on College Life allows him to ask a question at Faculty meetings, Shuldiner said he had been a main proponent for scheduling the rally to occur during the Faculty meeting yesterday.

"When I got a letter in the mail saying that the meeting was today, I said `Let's have a rally!'" he said.

Shortly after Shuldiner entered University Hall to the cheers of the crowd, Vladeck and Hennefeld learned of the University's announcement of support for full disclosure of factory locations.

"Now we see that we can get results this way," Vladeck said just before announcing the news to the crowd.

While protesters awaited Shuldiner's return, Harvard Chief of Police Francis D. "Bud" Riley surveyed the relatively peaceful scene. He said he was pleased with the conduct of the protesters through the day, and said the "intelligent" planning of the rally made it easy for everyone involved.

"We're here to make sure they have the right to rally as much as everything else," he said.

Vladeck said she was pleased with the police presence.

"The cops today have been great," she said.

When Vladeck learned via walkie-talkie that Shuldiner had risen to ask his question, she ordered the protesters silent. When he was finished, students resumed their chants.

According to Shuldiner and University Attorney Allan A. Ryan Jr., the noise was loud enough to hear in the Faculty meeting room.

As the closed portion of the Faculty meeting began, in which the Faculty would debate Douglas's future, protesters began to disperse and some moved back to the steps of Memorial Church.

When the Faculty finally emerged from University Hall at around 6:15 p.m., they immediately faced the bright lights of network television cameras. Although none commented for reporters, Epps took a moment to explain the decision to the group of students that was waiting in front of the John Harvard statue.

"We're more thrilled with the process than the results, and the results aren't so bad," Vladeck said. --Jenny E. Heller contributed to the reporting of this article.