il U.S. NOTES
American Students Battle for Freedom of Speech - continued. ‘communists' or members of ‘communist front organisations'. In the present American context this can lead to considerable victimisation,
At this point the leader of the FSM delivered an ultimatum: either drop the charges or massive civil disobedience will follow. The Administration under-estimated the FSM's support and rejected the ultimatum. Next day, (December2nd), a really fantastic demonstration resulted: thousand upon thousand of students marched into the administration buildins and sat down, All the workers were sent home and the FSM took over the building, Six hours after (7,00pm.) the campus police moved in and, as is normal at that hour, locked the doors of the building. with about 800 students inside. Outside huge crowds waited; nearly all were sympathetic to the demonstrators, Inside FSM leaders organised the "Free University of California"; films were shown and freedom classes held. Then at 3,00am. the nolice moved in. The students were treated with considerable brutality: being dragged down the stairs by their feet, arms were twisted, students were deliberately trodden on, kicked etc, The arrests went on all day until 4,00pm.(December 3rd). Bail was set at $250 each and this money has to actually be paid in. Much bail was put up by the faculty. The volice brutality and the mass arrests Shook the staff and at a huge informal faculty meeting of 1,000 professors it was agreed that they should stand by the students.
A student strike was immediately called. All buildings were picketed and 75% of the classes were closed. The Teamsters Union agreed not to cross the student picket line. The students are insisting on total amnesty in addition to their original demand for free speech.
All progressive people in Britain can help by sending protests to the U.S.Embassy in London or direct to Governor Brown, Sacramento, California. The protests should make two points: (1) decrying police brutality; and (2) calling for the freedom of speech for American students,