I I TODAY Showers; High: 82, Low: 62. TOMORROW Cloudy, cooler; High: 76, Low: 54. A century of editorial freedom IDE... Notre Dame's luck runs out. See SPORTSmonday Page 1. Vol. Cl, No. 148 Ann Arbor, Michigan - Monday, September 16, 1991 Copyright 01991 The Michigan Daiy I 0' 0. M' sends Irish home teary-eyed Police tear gas S. University to disperse crowd I by Tami Pollak Daily Staff Reporter Cheers and chants became tears early Saturday morning when Ann Arbor police used tear gas and chemical Mace to clear a pre-foot- ball game crowd outside of South University Street bars. Police said the situation on the street, which many students likened to a pep rally, had all the ingredients for a riot similar to that which occurred on South Uni- versity Street after the 1989 NCAA basketball championship. "It might have started out like a pep rally, but the chemistry started turning," said Ann Arbor Staff Sgt. Khurum Sheikh. "(Notre Dame and Michigan fans) were singing each other's fight songs, but changing the words, putting in vulgarities. Things were getting tenser and tenser and when you add that to a large, intoxicated crowd early in the morning, things could have easily grown out of hand." Police said some people were throwing stones and bottles and damaging squad cars. But many students who were caught in the melee said they thought it was the police involve- ment that started problems. "It was a good time. All the Notre Dame people were on the Charley's and O'Sullivans side. People were chanting. Things were cool, under control," said visiting Notre Dame senior Jody Armetta. "Then the cops showed up and starting throwing tear gas bombs.... It was crazy." About 300 people had been milling around the area between See TEAR GAS, Page 2 -----i Michigan wide receiver Desmond Howard (above) awaits Elvis Grbac's game- winning touchdown pass in the fourth quarter of Michigan's 24-14 victory over Notre Dame Saturday. See story in SPORTSmonday, page 1.The night before (left) police used tear gas and chemical Mace to break up rowdy pre-game fans on South University Street. City officials to look into gassing incident 'U' student leaders uncertain if by Gwen Shaffer Daily Staff Reporter The city will conduct an investigation into Saturday morning's tear gassing incident, city officials said last night. "I am very concerned about what hap- pened," said Mayor Liz Brater. "The root of the problem was a number of intoxicated. people in the (South University Street) area. Alcohol abuse is a major cause of disruption and disturbance in this community. We need to work with the University and address this issue constructively together." Councilmember Larry Hunter (D-1st Ward) echoed Brater's sentiments. "This incident points out how much more work we have to do with the University to figure out solutions. I'm concerned about mass quantities of alcohol being consumed," he said. "Police alone won't do it - preven- tion is needed. I don't want to see us pop off the top of tear gas every time there is a crowd." City Administrator Alfred Gatta said the Police Department will conduct an internal administrative review of the situation. A videotape of the incident, made by police officers on the scene, will be used as a basis for the investigation, officials said. "I'm sure Chief (Douglas) Smith will be looking into whether (tear-gassing) was justifiable, and even if it was, what alternatives were available," Brater said. Councilmember Bob Eckstein (D-5th Ward) said he heard from several sources that "pumped up" Notre Dame fans in town for the football game were the instigators of the potential riot situation. "I heard that a lot of Notre Dame people were concentrated in one bar. They were sur- rounded by Michigan fans. It was obvious they were looking for action," Eckstein said. Several council members expressed concern at the fact that tear-gas was used on an open crowd. "We need to figure out a principle when things like this happen so we don't get to the point where people are getting gassed. People getting gassed is absurd," said Councilmember Ann Marie Coleman (D-Ist Ward). Councilmember Mark Ouimet (R-4th Ward) said he talked to four police officers who were involved with the event. 'We need to figure out a principle when things like this happen so we don't get to the point where people are getting gassed ...' - Ann Marie Coleman City Council member "They did not want to have a repeat per- formance of what went on during the basket- ball championship two or three years ago, and these are what they felt were the necessary steps to break up the crowd," Ouimet said. Gatta said he was not involved in the deci- sion to use tear gas, but will probably review the videotape of the event sometime this week. "Right now it appears from the informa- tion that I've received that we did act appro- priately," he said. - Daily City Reporter David Rheingold contributed to this article. anti-police action will be taken by Purvi Shah Daily Staff Reporter University student leaders are still uncertain about what action to take re- garding the use of tear gas and Mace to disperse a crowd from South University Street Saturday morning. Students' Rights Commission Chair Michael Warren commented that he plans to bring the issue up during the Michigan Student Assembly meeting tomorrow, in addition to creating a subcommittee to investigate the incident. This subcommittee would conduct a preliminary investigation by talking to people arrested, police officers, and wit- nesses of the event. There are no protests planned cur- rently, since Warren feels such actions would be premature. "Some people are alleging that the po- lice apply the laws more harshly against the students than the general citizens," he said. "The way that I see the Students' Rights Commission is to basically have it being just an organizing group and not a group that actively goes out. I hope my approach will be more effective - more low-key - but more effective." LSA Rep. Kim Watson is unclear as to how MSA will react to the incident. "I personally think of tear gas as a last re- sort. I certainly think with the incident at South Quad that (the police force) use it pretty liberally," she said. "I think the police force in the past has been a little overeager. I also wasn't there, so there might have been a real crowd-control problem." The last major incident involving po- lice use of Mace occurred last December at an Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority party held at South Quad. Athough the official police report stated that the use of Mace See LEADERS, Page 2 UAC's Viewpoint lecture series to bring Spike Lee, Rev. Al Sharpton by Gigette Rlagan Filmmaker Spike Lee and Rev. Al Sharpton, a New York community ac- tivist, will headline this year's cast of speakers for the University Activity Cen- ter's Viewpoint lecture series. This year, the Viewpoint lecture committee has made an increased effort to bring in influential speakers so that stu- Bernstein said he feels that Viewpoint has "a clear path to students." The role of Viewpoint is not to tell students how to think, but what to think about, he said. "A tremendous effort is being made this year in enhancing the Viewpoint committee and I encourage anybody to contact me," Bernstein added. "I really want to make this committee a slice of Bash. Bernstein said it is only interested in "getting the most qualified people to speak" and that it is flexible in choosing the issues since it wants to adapt to stu- dent concerns. Included in the series is sports com- mentator Chris Berman. He will come to Rackham Auditorium on Nov. 6. Author Betty Freidan will sneak Dec. Iowa Democrat to run for president WINTERSET, Iowa (AP) - Iowa Sen. Tom Harkin, a fiery pop- ulist proclaiming "a new vision of America," formally joined the ", Uk A& 1