300 Demonstrate For Black Berets

A noisy group of 300 activists, shouting for the release from a California prison of a Black Panther leader, staged a parade yesterday afternoon from the central campus to the County Building and back. The demonstration, featured by raised clenched fists and continuing shouts of "Free Huey!," began on the U-M Diagonal From that point, with an Ann Arbor pólice motorcycle escort, the students marched four to six abreast north on S. State St. to E. Hurón and then west on E. Hurón to S. Fourth Ave. Richard Feldman, arrested recently for nis part in the disruption of job interviews by a DuPont Co. representative on the campus, had obtained a "parade permit" from City Hall prior to the march, ït was learned. The marchers carried a red flag snowing a white clenched fist with a broken chain on it and the words "People's Party" printed on it. They also carried a bed sheet-sized cloth with "Free Huey" and other wording on it and several smaller signs. Large signs promoting yesterday s demonstration were painted the previous night, by unidentified persons, on walls in an auditorium and two classrooms in Angell Hall. The U-M plant department estimated today that clean-up costs will be aboüt $150. No other property damage other than litter was reported. The demonstration had a two-fold purpose: to mark the birthday of Huey Newton, a Black Panther leader now in a [ornia prison on a murder charge, and to demand the freeing of six membcrs oí the local Black Beret organization who were arrested last tall on various charges following a dlsturbance on E. Ann St. The Black Berets have been free on bond since their arrest. A Circuit Court hearing on several of their cases had been scheduled for yesterday afternoon but had been adjourned until later tnis month several days ago. When the demonstrators, who were predominately white, reached E. Huron St. and Fourth Ave., they turned north on Fourth Ave. and marched north three blocks, in an apparent attempt to enlist other participants in the move to the County Building.. They then cut west on to N. Main St. and marched south to the front entrance of the County Building. There, they made brief speeches between shouts of "Free Huey!" and "Free the Ann Arbor six!" No actual police-demonstration confrontation occurred. Four of the demonstrators who attempted to enter the building were ordered out by deputies. Two of the protesters said they wanted to use a rest room and two others inquired about a drinking fountain. They obeyed the deputies' orders to return to the crowd outside. Just before the demonstrators left the front of the County Building for the hike back to the campus two signs, painted on white cloth, were taped to glass doors of the entry way. One of the signs was removed by a demonstrator before the crowd left the area. No arrests were made.