Civil disobedience was used for the first time by the September 29th Movement Tuesday afternoon in an attempt to get the attention of Iowa State administrators.

Nearly 200 people, including Movement members, supporters and university officials crowded the lobby of Beardshear Hall yesterday for an unauthorized town hall meeting.

There was no violence.

It was the first time Movement members had used civil disobedience. This summer, members threatened the tactic to get officials to remove bricks from the Plaza of Heroines in front of Catt Hall.

The university removed the bricks in early August.

This time, the conflict between the Movement and administrators was not resolved.

At noon, students gathered at the Memorial Union to prepare for the march to Beardshear as the Campanile bells sounded “Stars and Stripes Forever.”

The group marched up the front steps of Beardshear and sat on the stairway leading to the lobby. A large crowd formed at the base of the stairs.

Milton McGriff, spokesman for the Movement, announced to the crowd that there would be no arrests. However, he said the meeting was unauthorized and participants might receive citations for violating university rules.

Shortly before, Warren Madden, vice president for business and finance, requested that the group relocate because the lobby was an “unacceptable meeting place.” He said he was performing his responsibility as building supervisor of Beardshear Hall.

Madden said ISU President Martin Jischke indicated willingness to meet with the Movement but the location of this meeting was inappropriate. In addition, he said the university has time, place and manner restraints for assemblies.

McGriff said the Movement officials have tried to talk about conflict resolution with Jischke. They feel a meeting without a moderator would not be productive. Jischke has said he won’t allow a moderator.

McGriff said Movement members, “have exhausted everything in the system and are willing to face whatever penalties” that may result from civil disobedience.

Allan Nosworthy, a member of the Movement, told members of the crowd to move away from the exits and doors so they would not completely block the building’s flow of traffic.

Madden said the business was somewhat disrupted by chanting and congested traffic flow.

“The fact is they violated university policy by going ahead with the unauthorized meeting in an unauthorized location,” he said.

Meron Wondwosen, president of the Black Student Alliance, asked people to consider whether they really understand their history or if they accept the evils and triumphs of the past.

“Something is wrong if you don’t support the renaming of Catt Hall. We are the September 29th Movement, and we do not hide behind jobs. We do not hide behind titles. We do not hide behind accolades or achievements. We are the September 29th Movement, and we will change the name of Catt Hall,” Wondwosen said.

She said she delivers five letters a day to Jischke’s office requesting a name change for Catt Hall.

Midway through the rally, members of the Movement handed name tags to Kathleen MacKay, dean of students, so they could be charged with handbook violations.

Organizers of the demonstration will be brought before the All-University Judiciary Committee, MacKay said. All students brought to judiciary hearings receive a closed hearing unless otherwise specified.

McGriff said the members of the Movement will request open hearings.

After the meeting, which ended peacefully with a Department of Public Safety security officer leading the exit from Beardshear, Madden spoke up.

“I believe they conducted themselves responsibly. They did exactly what they told us they were going to do. For that I’m appreciative,” he said.

Tom Thielen, vice president for student affairs, was present at the meeting. “Although the rally was unauthorized, the students and organizers did a nice job of expressing their views and that’s why I am here and that’s why I stayed,” he said.