Jdl’ers Protest Arrest of Soviet Jews; 77 Arrested During Sit-in Near Soviet Mission

Close to 400 Jewish Defense League members picketed yesterday across the street from the United Nations in protest against the arrest of a Soviet Jew, Leonard Kilchinsky, on charges of promulgating anti-Soviet propaganda. Later that day, the demonstrators obstructed traffic for more than an hour by staging a sit-down a block away from the Soviet Mission to the UN, which culminated in the arrests of 77 persons. At the Dag Hammarsjkold Plaza near the UN, the youthful pickets marched around in an orderly fashion in a large area cordoned off and ringed by police. According to Eli Schwartz, JDL National Youth Chairman, Kilchinsky had been inducted into the Red Army following his renunciation of his Soviet citizenship. Kilchinsky smuggled out several letters to Western countries deploring the oppressive policies of the Soviet Union and was subsequently arrested. “He was arrested,” said Schwartz, “on charges of spreading anti-Soviet propaganda. We are here today to demand his release.” After the picketing at the Plaza, a large contingent of demonstrators marched towards the Soviet Mission. They were stopped a block away from the Mission by police barricades where they were instructed by Schwartz to sit down in the streets. The 77 demonstrators who were taken into custody an hour after the sit-down strike began and made no attempt to resist arrest, were charged with disorderly conduct. Later in the evening, about 300 persons held an orderly prayer vigil sponsored by the JDL outside the Soviet Mission compound in Glen Cove, L.I.