Pickets To Protest Denial Of Negroes' Voting Rights

While Bostonians go to the polls on election day, 200 to 300 integrationists wall picket the Boston Common to protest the dental of voting rights to southern Negroes.

The protest rally will be part of a nation wide action proposed by the Student non Violent Coordinating Conference held in Atlanta, Georgia, in October. Northern and Southern civil rights groups will mark the election with protest picketing at polling places and busy, public areas throughout the states.

The action will attempt to focus national attention on the need for meaningful civil rights legislation and on the continued denial of voting rights to southern Negroes.

Specifically, the picketers will demand immediate action on civil rights embracing the provisions of Section III of the 1967 Civil Rights Act, repeal of the Senate fillbuster rule, and powerful new legislation. Article II gives the President power to call out Federal judges to hear appeals in charges of discrimination in registration. However, this power has, so far, been unused.

In addition to the national issues the Boston rally will urge specific proposals to fight discrimination in the Commonwealth, including political and financial strengthening of the Massachusetts State Commission Against Discrimination.

The picketers hope a show of membership strength will dispel reported public apathy occasioned by the integration of some Southern lunch counters.

Lunch Counter Victories

The rally represents the first efforts of the 1960-61 academic year to follow up victories won by last year's campaign against lunch counter discrimination. From February to August the civil rights groups organized picketing against Boston branches of the Woolworth's chain stores.

Following integration efforts in some Woolworth's Southern branches, the groups declared a moratorium on picketing in August. Efforts had been hampered by the close of schools in the Boston area and by the departure of student picketers.