War Protest Peaceful But Charges Possible

A "bomb cráter" antiwar demonstration went off peacefully yesterday afternoon and evening on the University campus but prosecution is possible in. connection with digging "craters" at unauthorized spots on campus. Prosecution also is expected against a medical doctor who pólice say dumped catsup in the U-M Administration Building. The cráter digging is designed to simúlate the holes peace groups say are left in Vietnam by American war planes. When campus officials were approached about the demonstration plans several days ago they informed the peace groups that craters could be dug in the grassy dividing strip on S. Ingalls St. between Hill Auditorium and the Michigan League building. But peace leaders rejected that offer, asserting that they wished to dig the craters around the Diagonal at the center of the central campus. With a battery of loud speakers and a rock band set up on the steps of the General Library, the first digging began in an area between the library and the Economics Building near the Diagonal early yesterday afternoon. While shovels wielded by a dozen diggers knifed into the lawn, speakers talked to the crowd strolling around the sun-baked Diagonal. The speakers ïncluded Genie Plamondon, wife of political activist Lawrence (Pun) Plamondon, and Mayor Robert J. Harris. Mfs. Plamondon told of her trip to Hanoi and noted she was wearing clothing given her by the North Vietnamese during her visit there. She noted that Director of Safety for the U-M Fred DaI vids wished to address the crowd but that she wished to speak with him first I before turning the microphone over to I him. But she gave Davids the rostrum I after a youth charged she was attemptI ing to censor free speech. Davids warned the diggers that they I were acting illegally in digging holes I near the Diagonal and that an area for I such digging had been provided by the I U-M. But the digging continued and I eventually a large hole resembling a I bomb cráter was completed near the I General Library. Davids had warned the crowd that unI derground pipes or electrical wires I might be struck but leaders of the peace I group said the holes would not go deeper I than three feet. Mayor Harris, speaking at the rally, urged that those opposing the war unite to form a solid front. He said the peace movement in Ann Arbor has tended to be two peace movements - one composed of younger persons and those with a left political philosophy, and those who are older with a center or right political leaning. The mayor said it is "of the utmost importance that the two peace movements now -imite, in Ann Arbor and across the United States." Harris said, "I urge all of us to remain united as a single peace movement, burying the issues that divide us, so that we can gain strength and bring a rapid end to this most terrible and unjustified war." "The Indochina war, which most of us have long opposed, has been escalated by the President to a new ferocity and a new level of violence," Harris said. "The risks of a third world war are increased immensely." Harris said, "The main thing is the killing. Our imaginations cannot conceive the destruction American planes and ships are visiting on North and South Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia. Search as we may for a justification of our country's military action, no justification can be found." ""The killing goes on for no reason know except the fact that the President is angry that he has been defied," the mayor said. Before the first cráter had been completed a group of demonstrators moved to the corner of S. State St. and N. University Ave. at the northwest entrance to the Diagonal and began digging a second hole. That cráter was completed and later a third hole was dug between Hill Auditorium and the Michigan League, the spot where the University had given permission to dig. Throughout the digging demonstrations, plainclothes Ann Arbor pólice and State Pólice officers circulated through the crowd observing and snapping pictures. At one point a group surrounded Detective Sgt. Norman Olmstead who had a camera and actively blocked his view of the original bomb cráter diggers. But Olmstead stood his ground and when the group drifted off he resumed his picture taking. Before the digging began U-M President Robben Fleming warned the peace groups that prosecutions would result against those digging holes in an unauthorized area. To implement that warning Director Dav'ids ordered his security forces to attempt to identify those digging holes near the Diagonal and city 1 1- ■WTTTn pólice strolling through the áreas took scores of pictures of the diggers. However no arrests were made on the scène which attracted a crowd of more than 500. The warm, sunny day contributed to the gathering of spectators, pólice said. Pólice Chief Walter E. Krasny said his department would be working with Director Davids' men in attempting to identify persons participating in the digging demonstrations and warrants for their arrest will then be sought. Chief Krasny said prosecution will also be sought against Dr. Richard Kunnes, 31-year-old unpaid instructor in the U- - - - ! M's Psychiatry Department and a scaff psychiatrist at the Washtenaw Community Mental Health Center. Chief Krasny said Kunnes has been identified as one of the men who dumped wastebaskets filled with catsup in a first floor hallway of the U-M's Administration Building yesterday noon. Kunnes received national attention in 1971 when a tomato was tossed at U.S. Sen. Hubert Humphrey who was addressing a science gathering in Philadelphia. Kunnes and a companion were questioned by pólice but were released without charges. Yesterday's catsup-tossing was aimed at symbolizing the blood of the Vietnam War and was timed to coincide with the monthly meeting of the U-M Board of Regents in the Administra tion Building. Several students who attended that meeting had catsup containers with them but did not empty them in the meeting room. Policemen on duty in the hallway outside the meeting room said Kunnes and his companions were denied entrance to the regents' meeting when they appeared with the wastebaskets of catsup. Officers said the group turned to leave and when one of the group shouted "Now!" they dumped the baskets of catsup on the hallway floor near the elevators and fled out a door. I Kunnes has for several years chal-BJ lenged the medical profession, callingB the American Medical Association the_] "American Manslaughter Association."! He says medical care in America isH inadequate and many doctors are incom-H petent with a "collusion" existing be-B tween doctors, medical schools andB researchers. He has written a book "Your Moreyl Or Your Life" which strongly criticizesB current medical practices. In connection with the cráter digging ■ on campus, U-M President Fleming is-BJ sued the following statement Friday aft-H ernoon: I "In the past two days, we were madeB aware of the f act that a coalition ofB anti-war groups was planing a ■ stration on the central campus in ad-B vanee of a proposed trip to Washington. "Although the groups were essentially ■ non-student, and the crowd that I mately gathered was largely I student, campuses are currently a I ral site for such activities. We recognize, I of course, that there are intense feelings I and frustrations, both among students I and others, with respect to the war. I Therefore, we discussed with various I resentatives of the anti-war movement I symbolic activities which might take I place without provoking either violence I or personal injury. "Some of the members of the anti-war I groups insisted on digging so-called I bomb craters on that part of the central I campus known as the Diag. We were 1 pecially concerned about any digging inl that area because the subsurface is I interlaced with electric power lines, 1 phone cables, water conduits, and sew-l age lines. We pointed out this problem I and even produced maps to document it. I "At the same time, in an effort to 1 vide an alternative site, we suggestedl a place on central campus where al symbolic dig could take place without I endangering lives or property. "When it became apparent that som el of the anti-war groups would not accept I this solution to the problem, we made it 1 clear that we would prosecute those who I dug in unauthorized places. "Some digging has taken place on thel Diag. We will make every effort tol prosecute those individuals who defied I the warning notice read to them at thel time by our security officers. "It must be recognized, however, thatl the development of the case and thel recommendation of warrants lie in thel hands of the pólice and prosecutor." BiBM