DOC RELATES TO PROJECT MERRIMAC (MERRIMACK) - SITUATION INFORMATION REPORT

• Document Type: SPECIALCOLLECTION
• Collection: MHCHAOS
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 00018223
• Release Decision: RIFPUB
• Original Classification: U
• Document Page Count: 6
• Document Creation Date: December 20, 2024
• Document Release Date: December 24, 2024
• Publication Date: May 24, 1973

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BEST
COPY
AVAILABLE
24 May 1973
SITUATION INFORMATION REPORT
The Communist Party, USA (CPUSA) is in the process of
trying to organize a new national multi-issue front organization to
replace its antiwar contingent, the People's Coalition for Peace and
Justice (PC P1). This "united front" con.cept is a typical CPUSA
tactic implemented to attract broad-bdged support from minority,
religious, and nonaligned U. S. revolutionaris.
The new coalition, the National Defense Organization Against
Racist and Political Repression (NDO) plans to focus its attention on
15�MIM�a prisons, police brutali,ty,,, political repression, and the
U. S. legal system.
Support for the .NDO is being generated by a number of diverse
"leftist" groups who met in New York City on March 17 for a national
pre-conference meeting organized by Charlene Mitchell, CPUSA
candidate for the U. S. Presidency in 1968.
A national organizing conference sponsored by the Rev. Ralph
Abernathy, Southern Christian Leadership Conference; Rev. Dan
Berrigan; Julian Bond; Prof. Noam Chomsky, MIT; Rep. Sohn Conyers
(D-Mich); Bert Corona of Casa Hermanidad; Ricardo Cruz, Mexican-
American Legal Defense and Education Fund, L. A.; Rep. Ronald
Dellums CD-Calif.); Patrick Gorman, president, Amalgamated Meat-
cutters and Butchers; Rev, Tames Groppi; Fannie Lou Hamer; William
Kunstler, attorney; John Lewis, Southern Voters Education Project;
Alfred Lopez, Puerto Rican Socialist Party; Javier Rodriguez, Los
Tres del Barrio Defense Committee; Modjeska Simkins, president,
Southern Conference Education Fund; Sarvis Tyner, chairman, Young
Workers Liberation League, and Henry Winston, chairman of the
Communist Party, USA, was held in Chicago, Minois on May 11-13,
1973 to launch the NDO.
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Seven hundred and sixty-nine representatives of black, white,
- Chicano, Puerto Rican, American Indian, Asian, and labor organiza-
tionse
attended the founding NDO Conference. ngela Davis, Bert
Corona of Casa Hermanidad, and Carl Bra en of the Southern Con-
ference Education Fund were elected co-ch irpersons of the new
coalition. Those elected as vice co-chairpersons were Clyde Bellecourt
of the American Indian Movement; Alfredo Lopez of the Carlos Feliciano
Defense Committeb and the Puerto Rican Socialist Party; Rev. Ben
Chavis of the Commission of Racial Tustice and the United Church of
Christ; Bill Takahashi of the United Defense Against Repression, Los
Angeles; and Fred Bell of the United Defense of Political Prisoners,
Dallas, Texas.
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The founding conference, in addition t�aunching a new national
communist- dominated coalition, brought into sharp focus the disunity
within the "radical left" in the U. S. today. Factionalism highlighted
the organizing conference. According to reliable sources, each attend-
ing group strove to establish itself as..pie "revolutionary vanguard"
of the new coalition and consequently very little concrete organizing .
was actually accomplished. It should be noted, that the Socialist
Workers Party (SWP) and other Trotskyist splinter groups did not
participate. In addition, the Maoist organizations chose. to.boycott
the conference.
There are basic ideological problems to be overcome if these
groups are to become involved. It remains to be seen, if the new
coalition will be able to accommodate the ideologically different
"leftist sects" and still be a viable organization.
.CALENDAR OF TENTATIVELY SCHEDULED ACTIVITIES
26 May, Nationwide
A second nationwide African Liberation Day has been announced
and will be held in 25 cities across the country on the above date to
show support and solidarity with Africans in southern Africa.
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Committee chairman Owusu Sadaukai, president of Malcolm X
University in Greensboro, North Carolina, recently issued a call for
sponsors to raise at leaSt $50, 000 to support the liberation movement
in southern Africa.
Members of the African Liberation Day Support Committee have
been holding rallies and going door-to-door to collect funds and solicit
support from local churches, schools, neighborhoods and organizational
institutions. Among the supporters of the African Liberation are the
following: members of the Congressional Black Caucus; Anderson
Young ofGeorgia; Percy Sutton of Manhattan; the Rev. Iohn Walker;
Marion Barry; Leroi Tones; Leonard Ball (Black Labor Leaders
Coalition) and Don L. Lee, Institute forj:Positive Education, Chicago.
African Liberation Day will be observed in the following cities:
Atlanta, Ga. ; Boston, Mass; Buffalo, N. Y.; Chicago, Ill.; Columbia,
S. C.; Columbus, Ohio; Detroit, Mich.; Houston, Tex.; Indianapolis,
Ind.; Sackson, Miss.; Kansas City, Mo. ; Los Angeles, Calif.; Memphis,
Tenn.; Nashville, Term.; Newark, Ma; New Orleans, La.; Oakland,
Calif.; Oklahoma City, Okla.; Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, Pa.; Portland,
Ore.; Raleigh, N. C.; San Francisco, Calif.; St. -Paul, Minn.; and
Washington, D.C.
The ALDSC was granted permission to conduct a parade on
26 May from 11:00 a. m. to 2:00 p. m. in Washington, D. C. The Metro-
politan police anticipate that the 800 to 1, 200 figure called for by the
organizers will participate; however, last year's demonstrations drew
12,000 people to Washington, D. C.
Recently the organizers of ALDSC were granted permission to
use the Meridian Hill Park until 10:00 p. m, and they have made plans
to have entertainment furnished by rock bands-at the conclusion of the
parade. This recent eha.nge of plans in all probability will increase
the number of participants to 3 or 4,000 persons.
Tentative speakers for the rallies will consist of such local
activists as the Rev. Douglas Moore (Black United Front), Rev. Ben
Chavis (African Prisoner of War Solidarity Committee and the Rev.
Smallwood Williams (local activist). Reportedly, � Edison r. M. Zvobgo
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tan owiln from Rhodesia) has claimed that iplans are being made to
take over the Rhodesian Embassy in Washington, D. C. by force;
� however, Rhodesia does.not have an embassy in Washington but it
does have a Rhodesian Information Office, 2852 McGill Terrace, N. W.
This information has not been confirmed. There has also been talk
- of causing damage to a Gulf service station along the route, possibly
23rd and "P" Sts., N.W. and the ITT Building, Connecticut Ave. and
"L" Sts., N. W. The Gulf Oil Co. and ITT have been singled out by
this organization because they are allegedly exploiting blacks in southern
Africa.
The parade will form at the Meridian Hill Park, 16th and Euclid
Sts., N. W. and return to the same location. Attached is a route of the
march and rallies for the African Liberation Day activities to be held
in Washing ton, D. C.
In New York City, demonstrators will meet at 9:00 a. in. at
Dag Hammerskj old Plaza and march from theie to the Charles Young
Park at Lenox Avenue and 145th Street where a rally will be held at
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2:00 p.m.
26 May, Washington, D. C.
The Ukrainian Committee of America will sponsor d. demonstra-
tion to protest the Russian suppression of the Ukrainian people. Organ-
izers of the demonstration are calling for 3, 000 participants to gather
at the Taras Schevchenko Monument, 22nd and "P" Sts., N. W. After
this rally, they will march to Scott Circle where they will disband.
The Ukrainian Committee is an adult group that held the same
type demonstration last year with no problems; however, there is a
Ukrainian youth and student organization of the Ukrainian Committee
of America that held a demonstration on 19 May 1972 which resulted
in the arrest of 64 participants for blocking the sidewalk in front of
the White House. Police chased the demonstrators from the White
House to 16th and "K" Sts., N. W. where a group of 400 demonstrators
blocked traffic and burned trash in the intersection.
This year the demonstration will be a combination of the youth
and adult groups with participants generally coming from the East
Coast. Metropolitan police are expecting 1, 500 persons to participate
in the demonstration.
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16 nine, Washinaton. D. C.
Reportedly, the National Peace Action Coalition has announced
tentative plans t o hold a demonstration on the above date to protest
U. S. involvement in S. E. Asia.
Details are unknown at this time but will be reported when they
become available..
16 Tune, Washington, D. C.
The People's Coalition for Peace and Tustice has outlined plans
to hold demonstrations in three locations (Washington, D. C., a city
in the Mid-West and the East Coast whiCh are unknown at this time).
The purpose of these demonstrations is to protest the bombing of
/Cambodia and the alleged widespread discontent of Government handling
/ of domestic matters.
Tentative plans for the demonstration in Washington, D. C.
call for demonstrators to assemble at noon artNe-Watergate Apartment
Building complex. Reportedly, Daniel Ellsburg and Anthony Russo
will be the speakers at-the Watergate Buildihg.
The demonstration will be in the form of a march which is
scheduled to begin at 1:00 p. m. Demonstrators will march from the
Watergate Building to the State Department Building, to the Bureau
of Indian Affairs and to the White House where they will pause for
20 minutes then procede to the Tustice Department.
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Laurie Sandow, a member of the New York City interim comm it-
tee of PCPT, and Barbara Webster, a member of the New York City
national staff of PCPX, will come to Washington to set up an office to
run the demonstration. Headquarters will probably be located at the
VISTA office building (16th and "M" Sts.). The Vietnam Peace Parade
Committee is attempting to raise $16, 500 for a train to carry demon-
strators from New York City to Washington, D. C.
More information will be reported when it becomes available.
SOURCE: Government and News Media
RELIABILITY: Probably True � '
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