SYL Organizes Demonstration Against Harberger Appointment

About a dozen demonstrators gathered in front of Massachusetts Hall yesterday to protest the appointment of Arnold C. Harberger, chairman of the Economics Department at the University of Chicago, to head the Harvard Institute of International Development (HIID).

The Committee to Keep Harberger Off Campus, a group sponsored by the Spartacus Youth League (SYL), organized the protest.

Speaking at the demonstration, Barry Carter, a member of SYL, said Harberger's policies "have meant death and starvation for thousands of Chilean workers." Harberger's involvement with the Pinochet government in Chile is a "disgusting act of U.S. imperialism," Carter said, adding that "Harvard is a main think tank of U.S. imperialism."

Carter said the issue of Harberger's appointment "has nothing to do with academic freedom. It's not a question of ideas but of actions."

One student at the protest, who was not a member of SYL and asked to remain anonymous, said he opposed Harberger because of his involvement with Chile and "the economic ideas that he'd bring to the HIID."

"The debate is what formed my opinion" of Harberger another non-SYL student said, referring to a debate held last week on the Harberger appointment. "He wouldn't answer the questions," the student said, adding that Harberger has a "narrow view" of economics.

During the demonstration SYL members chanted, "Harberger, Harberger, you can't hide--we charge you with genocide," and distributed anti-Harberger leaflets.