Majority Coalition

On Wednesday, April 24, 1968, a group calling itself the "Majority Coalition" gathered signatures--2,000 signature it announced--to a petition that stated:

We, the undersigned, students at Columbia University deplore the tasteless, inconsiderate, and illegal manner in which the protests of April 23 and 24 against the Institute for Defense Analyses and construction of the new gym were conducted. We believe such outrageous conduct to be contrary to the best interests of Columbia University and her students. We urge the Administration to take firm action to prevent a recurrence of the deplorable disruption and to punish severely those responsible for it.

The Majority Coalition was comprised of conservative students actively opposed the SDS-led rebellion and the takeover of the buildings. Students aligned with the Majority Coalition became increasingly impatient with the Administration's inaction in the face of spreading disruption. They urged the administration to quickly remove and punish the students occupying Columbia's buildings and a resumption of classes. During the occupation, the Majority Coalition handed out flyers. One of them read:

Mr. Rudd has made his demands. We demand nothing. We can only request.

We support any reasonable alternative to SDS's ultimatum, including the Tripartite Commission. It is a positive step. We look for others.

SDS demands amnesty. Amnesty is out of the question. This is the feeling of the majority of the students and many of the faculty.

We represent campus moderates, not the right wing as Mr. Rudd would lead you to believe. Internally we may differ on substantive issue, but we are united in our condemnation of SDS tactics. We have acted responsibly and rationally in the face of provocation; yet, make no mistake, we are resolute in our purpose.

The Majority Coalition's "Statement of Principles" stated the following:

WE REFUSE: To admit the principle of government by a lawless and self-appointed minority.

WE BELIEVE: That the demonstrators are motivated not by a passion for justice, but a desire to act like professional revolutionaries.

WE AFFIRM: That the University has acted in good faith; that the gym would be welcomed by the Harlem community as a whole; and that the controversy has been stirred up by political opportunists.

WE DEMAND: 1) That the fate of the gym be decided in consultation with responsible and representative opinion from the Harlem community as a whole. 2) That those who have broken University regulations be punished in accordance with normal disciplinary standards.

WE RESOLVE: To support the kind of negotiation that the faculty are at present conducting.