Harvard Students to Hold Blockade of Military Base

A group of Harvard students will form a nonviolent "human blockade" at the Boston Army Base Friday morning.

The demonstrators will meet at the South Station MBTA parking lot and march to the Army base, where they will attempt to keep base employees and busloads of draft-eligible men from entering Students from the University of Massachusetts. Brandeis University, and source non-student residents of Newton and Concord will join them.

The Boston Army base is one of two induction centers in Massachusetts. All draftees from the Boston area must go to the base for pre-induction physicals and induction.

Workshops

The group is holding workshops at the Drama Center each day this week to prepare students for the act of civil disobedience.

One member of the group called the effort "a combination of symbolism and effectiveness" and said, "You don't have to get hung up with the tactics. If you are willing to be arrested, people can't say "We agree with your goals, but not with your tactics."

Before the action, the group will notify the police department, Governor Sargent. other government officials. and the local press. "We want them to know why we are putting our bodies on the line and that we are planning no violence," one participant said.

The Massachusetts Lawyers Guild has already agreed to defend the group and the Medical Committee on Human Rights will provide medics. Approximately 15 to 20 Boston-area ministers, priests. and professors will act as legal and official witnesses.

Tell the Family

On Friday morning houses will come to the base from the draft boards in Milton, Quincy. and Braintree. Some members of the anti-war group will picket and leaflet at these draft boards to inform draftees and their families about the action beforehand. Civilian base employees will also be leafleted on Wednesday and Thursday.

Many members of the group have decided not to accept bail after they are arrested. Stressing that this would be left to the individual. a spokesman for the group explained that they didn't want to "draw bail funds which are already much needed by others." He cited cases where bail was dropped because "it was a pain to keep people around."

A meeting will be held at 7:30 p.m. Thursday evening at Lowell Lecture Hall to finalize plaus for the action.