Nine 'Avatar' Salesmen Arrested, Magazine Declares 'War' on City

Cambridge police last Saturday arrested nine people selling the 18th issue of Avatar in Harvard Square; among the nine were two Harvard students--Jared Rossman '71 and Wesley R. White '65-4.

Saturday's actions bring the total of Avatar-connected arrests up to about 40, most of them in Cambridge. Gordon R. Foote Jr. '70 has been the only other Harvard student arrested selling Avatar. Foote's case was continued on February 1 and will be heard next week.

War on Cambridge

Jeremy Greenwood, Avatar business manager, said yesterday that the Avatar staff has begun a "war" against the City of Cambridge and plans to concentrate selling in Harvard Square, although selling will not stop in Boston proper.

"Originally we were planning to have a mass sell-in on Saturday," he said, "but that would be like the smoke-ins: the police would contrive not to be there while it's happening, and then afterwards, they'll go on arresting people one by one."

Arraigned Today

The nine arrested over the weekend are scheduled to be arraigned in Third Eastern Middlesex District Court (East Cambridge) at 9 a.m. today. Wayne M. Hansen, a former Harvard student and one of Avatar's two editors, is already under indictment in Cambridge Courts as a result of an earlier arrest, also for selling Avatar.

Two of the nine, Mrs. Faith Gude and Mrs. Rachel Brause, were released immediately on $1500 bond. The others were released several hours later on personal recognizance, except for Hansen who was released on $1000 bond.

White, arrested with a friend, said that police arrested them for disturbing the peace after "threatening" them and "making a whole lot of noise themselves."