U.S. unites in protest
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capital Wednesday night with a candlelight march on the White House and a plea by Mrs. Martin Luther King Jr. that President Nixon "bring the boys home, and bring them home now."
A hushed crowd estimated by U.S. park police at between 22,000 and 50,000 persons huddled in the autumn chill of the Washington Monument grounds as the widow of the slain Negro civil rights leader condemned the war as "an enemy of poor and black people" and destroyer of life in Southeast Asia.
Mrs. King received a standing ovation when she concluded, "We still have a choice today—non-violent co-existence or violent co-annihilation. My friends, which will we choose?"
At that moment, with chimes tolling over a loudspeaker, the throng lighted individual candles and the procession to the White House three blocks away began.
In Detroit, a crowd of youngsters headed for a rally surged into a sporting goods store, apparently looking for loot. They were met by store employees with loaded guns, including one small machine gun, and police arrested several youths before the crowd moved on to Kennedy Square.
About 250 protesters invaded an ROTC recruiting center on New York University's Greenwich Village campus. They overturned files and furnishings, scattered papers and tore down charts. Fire believed caused by arson destroyed Selective Service records in Pittsfield, Mass.
American students abroad, including 100 from President Nixon's alma mater, marched in several European and Asian capitals Wednesday in support of Vietnam moratorium day. Non-Americans
20 KANSAN Oct. 16 1969
stayed on the sidelines and most of the demonstrations were orderly.
Students from Whittier College in California, which lists Nixon as its most illustrious graduate, put on black arm-bands and marched silently through Copenhagen, Denmark, to the U.S. embassy.
In London, actor Paul Newman and his actress wife, Joanne Woodward, joined more than 200 singing and chanting students in an anti-war demonstration in front of the U.S. embassy in Grosvenor Square.
In Tokyo, 20 Americans, including a young father carrying a baby on his back papoose-style, held a demonstration in front of the U.S. embassy and sang "We Shall Overcome."
Defenders of the government's handling of the Vietnam war Wednesday accused moratorium day demonstrators of aiding the enemy. Many showed their opposition by flying American flags or driving with their headlights on.
Most of the "counter" activity took a verbal form.
Vice-President Spiro Agnew urged the moratorium leaders to repudiate Hanoi's support for the demonstration, California Gov. Ronald Reagan said "we have the right to suspect that at least some of the anti-war participants are lending comfort and aid to the enemy," and Barry M. Goldwater of Arizona said the demonstrators are "playing into the hands of people whose business it is to kill American fighting men."
Fourteen Republican congressmen not only disagreed with moratorium leaders' appeal for a Vietnam pull-out but sent a letter to President Nixon urging a "sudden and major-escalation" of military efforts to end the war.
The National Guard Association of the United States condemned the antiwar protest as serving to
"strengthen the determination of Hanoi to continue its tactics of delay and deceit."
The President, who has insisted the nationwide Vietnam moratorium would not affect his decisions on the war in any way, spent the day at the White House on routine business while pickets marched outside on Pennsylvania Avenue.
Housewife aids effort
Because the moratorium was the issue rather than the legality of setting up a booth on Lawrence sidewalks, a Lawrence housewife set up a table in an alcove in front of a store on Massachusetts.
Mrs. Wes Santee was denied permission to set up a booth on Lawrence sidewalks to distribute literature on Vietnam by the Lawrence City Commission Oct. 7. The reason given her for the denial was an ordinance against blocking public right-of-ways. Mrs. Santee said her rights as a citizen were being infringed upon because other groups had been allowed to set up tables on the sidewalks.
Popular support was with her, but there was no need to press the issue at this time, Mrs. Santa said.
She said that she felt the commission had been wrong in denying her request, and that the incident demonstrated that constructive dissent was not as easy as might be thought.
The booth was organized by the Lawrence October 15 Committee as part of the moratorium effort. The booth was intended to fit into the community rather than the campus effort, Mrs. Santee said.
Photo by Mary Quinn
Medical Center students take action
Students at the University of Kansas Medical Center joined with Americans across the nation to show their disgust with U.S. involvement in Vietnam.
Riots hit Springfield
SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (UPI)—Mayor Frank Freedman declared a riot situation in the city's black ghetto area Wednesday night and put the city under a 10 p.m.-to-dawn curfew as gangs of blacks smashed windows and looted stores.
Three policemen were reported injured, one with a fractured skull, during bombardment with bricks and bottles. Thirty young persons were arrested and at least four fires had been set as dusk fell.
Police in full riot gear and carrying cans of Mace attempted
to keep the gangs of youths separated, only moving in to halt major assaults on buildings.
About 300 welfare recipients, mostly women and all members of the Welfare Rights Commission, marched on the welfare office in the city's ghetto area to demand winter clothing allowances.
They were denied entrance to the building but about 100 of them entered forcibly by a side door, according to observers. The remainder formed picket lines in the office paking lot.
ANNOUNCING
Election of 1973 Class Officers
NOTICE: On November 12,1969,the offices of President, Vice-President,Secretary and Treasurer of the freshman class shall be elected.
How to become a Candidate:
All freshmen are eligible to run for office. To become a candidate, a petition containing the signatures of 50 other freshmen must be completed and returned to the Student Senate office by 5 p.m., October 27 with a $5 petition fee. The necessary petitions may be picked up at the Student Senate office (B-105 Student Union) or on after October 16th.
For Further Information: Contact the Student Senate office (B-105 Student Union) at UN 4-3710