Page "Free Speech Movement" Paragraph 5

On December 2, between 1, 500 and 4, 000 students went in to Sproul Hall as a last resort in order to re-open negotiations with the administration on the subject of restrictions on political speech and action on campus.

Among other grievances was the fact that four of their leaders were being singled out for punishment.

The demonstration was orderly.

Some students studied, some watched movies, some sang folk songs.

Joan Baez was there to lead in the singing, and to lend moral support.

" Freedom classes " were held by teaching assistants on one floor, and a special Channukah service took place in the main lobby.

On the steps of Sproul Hall Mario Savio gave a famous speech: "... But we're a bunch of raw materials that don't mean to be-have any process upon us.

Don't mean to be made into any product!

Don't mean-Don't mean to end up being bought by some clients of the University, be they the government, be they industry, be they organized labor, be they anyone!

We're human beings !... There's a time when the operation of the machine becomes so odious — makes you so sick at heart — that you can't take part.

You can't even passively take part.

And you've got to put your bodies upon the gears and upon the wheels, upon the levers, upon all the apparatus, and you've got to make it stop.

And you've got to indicate to the people who run it, to the people who own it, that unless you're free, the machine will be prevented from working at all.