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Jewish Demonstrators Arrested

December 2, 1971
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Police arrested today two Jewish girls among a group of young demonstrators who scaled the walls around the Soviet Embassy here with posters bearing slogans and photographs of Jewish prisoners in the USSR. The demonstrators led by the Danish Jewish writer, Hanne Kaufmann, refused to disperse at police orders. The demonstration was the first staged here in connection with Soviet Premier Alexei N. Kosygin’s visit to Denmark which begins tomorrow. Danish border police were alerted today to watch out for a possible attempt by militants of the Jewish Defense League to enter Denmark in order to disrupt Kosygin’s visit. The police were ordered to screen foreigners arriving in Denmark to keep out “undesirables.”

Meanwhile, Foreign Minister K.B. Andersen of Denmark said today that as far as he was concerned the plight of Soviet Jews would be on the agenda of the talks with Kosygin. Andersen added, however, that the agenda has not been set and would be decided upon only after the talks start. He said, however, that “We feel that the Soviet policy at this junction is liberal.” Asked at a news conference whether he intended to raise the fate of Silva Zalmanson Kuznetsov, a Leningrad hijack trial defendant now serving a 10-year prison term and reported to be gravely ill. Andersen replied, “The internal problems of another state are difficult and cannot be publicly discussed.”

Foreign Minister Andersen told a Jewish group earlier this week that the Danish Cabinet had authorized him to broach the subject of Soviet Jews with Kosygin. Asked if the Middle East situation would be raised as well. Andersen said he was all in favor of this but noted that difficulties might arise from the fact that a Middle East debate is on the agenda of the United Nations General Assembly. Soviet Embassy personnel were seen today jotting down the license numbers of cars with stickers bearing the slogan “Let My People Go.” Thousands of stickers have been plastered on cars, walls and window panes all over Copenhagen this week.

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