Group Connected to Moon Protests Harvard Decision

More than 150 followers of the Rev. Sun Myung Moon demonstrated outside Harvard Yard yesterday morning to protest a University decision to prohibit members of the Collegiate Association for the Research of Principles (CARP)--an organization founded by Moon--from renting a University building for a conference.

The demonstrators, who marched around the Yard chanting "End Discrimination Now" and "We Love Harvard," were protesting Harvard's invasion of CARP members' freedom of speech and religion, Michael Smith, Eastern United States director of CARP, said yesterday.

Archie C. Epps III, dean of students, said yesterday he denied CARP access to buildings on campus because members of the association denied their affiliation with Moon's Unification Church at meetings with Epps and continued to solicit on University premises after being asked not to do so.

When Epps discovered the CARP members had misrepresented themselves, he immediately denied them permission to rent a room on campus. "The questions of religion and speech are not the issues here." Epps said.

Daniel Steiner '54, general counsel to the University, said yesterday Harvard has a right to refuse access to buildings to groups not affiliated with the University.

As soon as CARP recruits ten Harvard students to form a campus CARP chapter, it will hold its "New Hope Festival," "with or without Dean Epps' approval," Smith said yesterday, adding that he plans to submit another request to lease building space.

"We feel we have a message from God to give to these people," Smith said, adding, "Harvard is becoming an amoral university."

"Why are we being denied the rights to speak to Harvard students and why are Harvard students being denied the right to hear us?" Henry Schauffler, Massachusetts director of CARP, asked the protesters.

Aidan Barry, director of the Unification Church in New England and a speaker at the rally, said yesterday CARP is "demanding the same human rights" that all groups are granted by Harvard. "If what we're saying is wrong, then people will reject it," Barry said.

"If Harvard is not afraid to associate with the racist leaders of South Africa." Barry asked the sign-carrying crowd, "why are they afraid of a few young followers of the Rev. Moon?" Barry, who is a close friend of Moon, said CARP is "just trying to rent a hall that even Communists can rent out."

Harvard's charter says one of its missions is to produce God-centered men. Smith said. President Bok's recent letters on the University's ethical responsibilities "ignore the real fact that Harvard turns out many of the world's leaders" and thus directly affects the outside world, he added.

Marching Band

The group, accompanied by a 15-piece marching band, marched around the Yard from Lamont Library to Johnston Gate and then into the Square.

While Schauffler asked for "the right to speak and let the Harvard community decide for itself," the band struck up "When the Saints Come Marching In."

Student reaction to the demonstration was mixed. "I think the demonstrators seem fairly innocuous and law-abiding." Jeffrey Marshall, a third-year law student said yesterday as he listened to CARP speakers in front of the Science Center. "It seems to me they are having the right to speak freely," he added.

Donald E. Tarver '82 said he thought it was "awful" that Epps denied use of the building to the group.

Jay N. Itzkowitz '82 disagreed, saying the protesters were "twisting the idea" of freedom of religion, adding that CARP tries to force people to adopt its viewpoints