Sixty Demonstrators Seize Office at San Diego State

Over 60 students stormed the offices of San Diego State College president, Donald B. Walker, yesterday protesting charges of "unprofessional conduct" against assistant professor Peter Bohmer.

The students took over the office yesterday shortly after 11:30 a.m. smashing the glass in the door as they entered. They remained inside until about 3:30 p.m. when a spokesman for the police department told the students they would be arrested unless they left immediately.

Outside Agitators

Police Inspector William Kolendor said the take-over was engineered by an "off-campus faction of professional agitators." He stated that 40 of the 60 who were involved were "hard-core radicals" who had participated in similar actions in other parts of the state.

Bohmer said yesterday that the only agitator on the San Diego campus was Norman Epstein, general council to the state college system, who he claimed, initiated the disciplinary action against him.

Mancel Keene, vice-chancellor of the state colleges for faculty and staff affairs, termed Bohmer's assertion "absurd."

"The disciplinary action originated from the San Diego campus," Keene said. "Bohmer evidently take himself more seriously than other people do; up until two weeks ago no one in this office had ever heard of him."

After leaving the building yesterday, a delegation of students met with Walker to present their demands. They asked that all future hearings be open to the public and that all hearings be held on campus.

Walker said he did not have the power to great open hearings, as the procedure being used was determined by the State Board of Trustees. He stated that with tension so high on campus "it would be best for the community as a whole that hearings remain off-campus."