DOC RELATES TO PROJECT MERRIMAC (MERRIMACK) - SPECIAL INFORMATION REPORT - TENTATIVE PLANS FOR JOINT DEMONSTRATIONS TO COMMEMORATE THE THIRD ANNIVERSARY OF THE ASSASSINATION OF MARTIN LUTHER KING JR., SCHEDULED FROM 2-5 APRIL 1971 AT NEW YORK

• Document Type: SPECIALCOLLECTION
• Collection: MHCHAOS
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 00018182
• Release Decision: RIFPUB
• Original Classification: U
• Document Page Count: 2
• Document Creation Date: December 20, 2024
• Document Release Date: December 24, 2024
• Publication Date: March 29, 1971

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Approved for Release: 2024/12/19 C0001.8182
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2.9 March 1971
SPECIAL INFORMATION REPORT
Tentative Plans for Joint Demonstrations to Commemorate the Third
Anniversary of the Assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr.,
Scheduled from 2-5 April 1971 at New York
Massive demonstrations principally at New York City have
been called by representatives of the ,,Southern Christian Leadership
Conference, the National Welfare Rights Organization, the United Farm
Workers Organizing Committee and the People's Coalition for Peace
and Justice to commemorate the King assassination. A partial list of �
the architects of early April activities includes Dr. Ralph Abernathy,
chairman of the SCLC; George Wiley, executive director of the NWRO;
Dave Dellinger, Vietnam Peace Parade Committee; Bob Albert, War
Tax Resistance; Al. Evanoff, District:65 of the Distributive Workers
Union (New York); Al Hubbard, Vietnam Veterans Against the War; and
Sidney Peck, PCPJ. The participation of Caesar Chavez of the UFWOC
remains somewhat in doubt. His organization, hciwever; has been
represented in planning for this event.
The principal demands of this series of demonstrations will
be a guaranteed income of $6,500 a year, an end to hunger of the nation's
15 million hungry, decent jobs for all workers, the right of all workers
to organize for just pay, the abolition of capital punishment and equal
justice for the rich and the poor, quality education, the 18-year-old
vote, an end to the war now, and a total rejection and official repudia-
tion of racism in all aspects of American life.
Cordell Jackson, coordinator for the SCLC (at New York),
has detailed the following scenario for this series of demonstrations:
On 2 April the third anniversary of the King assassination
will be marked in New York by a march on City Hall at noon to demand
decent housing for welfare recipients. Other actions on 2 April will
include teach-ins and school assemblies. On Saturday, 3 April, a
"people to people talk festival" will be staged at the Central Park Band
.Shell near 72nd Street. Music and entertainment will open the festival
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and a "people's meeting" will begin at about 1:00 p.m. Principal
claclulcd opcimiccris fcsr the 3 April rally are Abernathy, George
Wiley, Dave Dellinger, Doris Turner of the Drug and Hospital
Workers Union, Jeanette Washington who is regional chairman of
the NWRO, and Mary Emeny who is representing the "People's
Peace Treaty."
On 4 April Abernathy reportedly will lead a mule train to
a large church somewhere in the city (not further identified) where
he will conduct services.
On 5 April participants will focus their attention on the
"profiteers of war and poverty," in a march on Wall Street. The
parade ii scheduled to commence at 14th Street and Union Square and
continue down Broadway culminating in a rally at the Treasury Building
at 12:30 p.m. Other participants in this march are, reported to be
Hosea Williams of Operation Breadbasket (a Chicago affiliate of SCLC),.
Democratic Congresswoman Bella Abzug, and a representative from
the UFWOC. Reportedly, the principal organizations for these four
days of actions across the nation will be joined by groups of trade
unions, peace groups, Negro, Mexican-American and Puerto Rican
liberation groups, women's organizations,. and civil rights groups.
Although demonstrations will take place in other parts 9f the country,
specific details are sparse. The principal action is definitely planned
for New York City where the principal leaders of all participating groups
will be found on this weekend. Planned events for New York should draw
large numbers of people, mostly Negroes and young radical whites.
From press coverage carried recently in the Daily World, it appears
that this event is fully endorsed and probably supported by the CPUSA.
It additionally has been reported that financial assistance has come
from the PCPJ.
. Disruptions will probably occur on Monday the 5th, but
violence does not appear to be on the schedule and probably will not
occur.
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Approved for Release: 2024/12/19 C00018182