D.C. Police Arrest 2500 More Protesters

WASHINGTON -As Mayday antiwar demonstrators reverted to tactics of nonviolent civil disobedience, Washington police arrested more than 2500 people yesterday to break up a sit-in and rally outside the Justice Department.

Traffic flowed normally into the city as police reported only a few instances of protesters trying to block streets during the early-morning rush hour by overturning cars and throwing bricks.

Probably the most serious traffic disruption occurred when police cordoned off four blocks of Constitution Avenue as they moved in on demonstrators sitting in 10th Street, adjacent to the Justice Department.

At that demonstration. FBI agents arrested John Froines-one of the "Chicago Eight" defendants-shortly after he had addressed the crowd of about 6000 demonstrators, government workers and bystanders.

Froines is charged with conspiring to interfere with government workers attempting to get to their jobs and conspiring to violate the constitutional rights of persons in the capital through disruption. Bond is set at $25,000.

Froines' arrest is the second in two days for conspiracy, and Justice Department officials say warrants will be issued for other persons soon. The FBI arrested Rennie Davis, another "Chicago Eight" defendant, on conspiracy charges Monday. He is being held on $25,000 bond.

It is likely that most of the 2500 persons arrested yesterday will be held until late in the week by Washington police, after a legal mix-up Monday resulted in the release of about 3500 persons Monday night and yesterday.

Mass Arrests

At 11 p.m. Monday, Washington Superior Court Chief Judge Harold H. Green issued a show-cause order requiring police officials to explain mass arrests of persons without noting their names or other identification or detail of when, where, and how they committed alleged offenses.

Police chief Jerry V. Wilson had suspended the normal practice of making cut short arrest forums when street violence reached its height at about 9 a.m. Monday. The result was that over half of those arrested were not formal-ly charged and their names did not appear on police records.

After police reversed the week-old policy of refusing to allow demonstrators to pay collateral, a steady stream of persons were released throughout Monday night.

However, Wilson re-imposed the no-collateral policy yesterday and ordered resumption of the use of short arrest forms early yesterday morning.

In the mass arrests at the Justice Department, police photographed and made out short arrest forms for all demonstrators before loading them into one of nearly 30 buses transporting prisoners to area jails and detention centers.

Attorney General John N. Mitchell and Deputy Attorney General Richard G. Kleindienst watched solemnly from a balcony at the Justice Department while 1500 members of the police Civil Disturbance Unit (CDU) dispersed and arrested people blocking 10th Street. Police arrested nearly 500 persons during the morning. Most were involved in sporadic attempts to duplicate Monday's tactics and were charged with disorderly conduct, but at least one group of about 60 persons was arrested on Connecticut Avenue and charged only with unlawful assembly.

Beginning at 1:15 p.m., about 4000 demonstrators marched in groups of 30 to 50 to the Justice Department from Franklin Square where leaders of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) stressed that they should remain nonviolent.

The SCLC-which organized the noon meeting in Franklin Square and the Justice Department action in conjunction with the Mayday collective-had no permit for an assembly or a parade.

Police did not attempt to break up the hour-long meeting in Franklin Square, and permitted demonstrators to walk the nine blocks to the Justice Department unimpeded so long as they remained on the sidewalks.

Police chief Wilson ended up leading the march as he walked about a block ahead of the first group of 50, surrounded by newsmen.

Wilson permitted demonstrators to listen to speakers at the Justice Department for over an hour before ordering police in at 2:40 p.m.

Shortly after Wilson emerged from a conference inside the building with Attorney General Mitchell, police five-deep moved in slowly from both ends of 10th Street, completely surrounding demonstrators.

Aside from limited use of nightsticks and tear gas during the first police advance, arrests were made cordially and with no resistance. People sat in the street, danced, sang, chanted antiwar slogans and listened to assorted speakers during the five hours it took to arrest the entire crowd.

Two Superior Court judges began processing those arrested at the Justice Department in addition to hold-overs from Monday at 7 p.m. last night. One judge permitted defendants to post $10 bond and be released but the others set bonds at $250 in most cases reducing the amount only for local residents.

According to statistics from the National Commission on the Cause and Prevention of Violence, Monday's arrest total was the largest in the history of the United States and amounted to half the number arrested in civil rights demonstrations for the period June 1963 to May 1968.

The waves of troops which patrolled the city Monday are being withdrawn slowly, although troops yesterday lined the four main bridges leading to down-town and a few vital traffic circles during rush hours.

Police are still working minimum 18-hour shifts-usually beginning at 4 a.m.-and are visible throughout the city. Many Mayday participants are leaving Washington although organizers vow they will continue civil disobedience at the Capitol today.

But considering the calculated and lightning-quick manner in which police have responded to Mayday activities so far, chances are good that demonstrators will not get anywhere near the premises.