HARVARD ROLE IN ARRESTS

To the Editor:

The CRIMSON article on the arrest of six people who were putting up posters for the SDS October 4th march did not emphasize the role of Harvard in these arrests. One Harvard patrol car covertly followed us for three hours, while other cops tore down the posters (and later brought them to court as evidence against us.) We went all the way to Medford and North Cambridge-and so did the University police. After they had watched us put up several posters on Church St., we were surrounded in front of Claverly Hall by eight Harvard police and eight Cambridge cops in four squad cars called in by Harvard to arrest us. At first they refused to tell us what we were charged with, but conferred for a half hour trying to figure out the most serious offenses they could get away with booking us on. In the end we were charged with idle and disorderly conduct (max. penalty: a year in jail). disturbing the peace (6 mos. and a $500 fine). and defacing private property ($10).

Why did Harvard have us arrested for putting up posters? We worked to publicize a march against the Vietnamese war and the negotiations, against university attacks on the people (like ROTC, expansion. and counterinsurgency research), and against the Universities' lousy treatment of campus workers.

It's becoming more and more clear that Harvard can at will use the Cambridge goverment (including the police and the courts) to promote the political ends of the rich businessmen who sit on the Harvard Corporation and to intimidate those who oppose them.