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Jewish Youths in N.y., L.a. Disrupt Rallies Celebrating Bolshevik Revolution

November 10, 1970
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Rallies here and in Los Angeles marking the 53rd anniversary of the Bolshevik Revolution were interrupted last night by students opposing the treatment of Soviet Jews. In this city, about 30 members of Student Struggle for Soviet Jewry paid admission to a “Rally for Peace and Friendship” of the National Council of American-Soviet Friendship, and sought to be heard following an address by Igor Bubnov of the Soviet Embassy in Washington, D.C. Dennis Prager, a student at Columbia University’s Russian Institute and a delegate to the recent United Nations World Youth Assembly, rose to ask the gathering to consider “the position of the Jews in the Soviet Union.” His request precipitated a 10-minute uproar, curtailing the planned program. SSSJ coordinator Glenn Richter told the Jewish Telegraphic Agency that the attendees “started pushing us and shoving us.” The students left the Statler-Hilton auditorium and picketed and sang outside. In Los Angeles, 15 members of California Students for Soviet Jews disrupted an anniversary rally five times, insisting that the speakers address themselves to the problems of Soviet Jewry. They were ejected by 20 policemen. Outside the hall, 500 members of CSSJ and the Southern California Council for Soviet Jews demonstrated. “We warned that we would raise the stakes after the arrest of several Jews in the Soviet Union,” explained Zev Yaroslavsky. CSSJ chairman. “We have demonstrated that we meant business. The one thing which we failed to do was to stop the meeting entirely.” He added: “This is only the beginning. There will be more of such actions and in more potent form.” One student in L.A. was arrested for disturbing the peace. There were no arrests in the New York action.

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