Boston Demonstrations Uphold, Revile Castro

As headlines proclaimed to downtown Boston "Cuba To Kill 500 Invaders," the Boston Chapter of the Fair Play for Cuba Committee demonstrated for two hours Saturday afternoon against alleged American support of the Cuban counter-revolutionary invasion.

Later in the day, a Boston group of anti-Castro Cubans were joined by members of the Young Americans for Freedom in a protest demonstration against the Castro government, David L. Morton '63, a director of the Harvard-Radcliffe YAF, reported.

Over 120 participated in the "Fair Play" group's picketing in a march up and down Tremont St. between the corners of Boylston and Park. Carrying signs such as "Peace on Earth" and "Is the CIA Our Peace Corps?", the marchers at first drew little reaction from the downtown crowd. But as hostile groups began to form around 3 p.m., the demonstrators called for a halt to the two-hour protest.

Leaflets Distributed

On the sidelines, members of the Committee passed out copies of a leaflet, "Violation of Laws and Treaties," which accused the U.S. of involvement in the Cuban crisis. Claiming domestic Cuban support for Castro, the leaflet charged that "the counter-revolutionaries include persons who have lost their special social and economic privileges, former Batista grafters, and those who oppose social change."

"From the point of view of the turn-out," Arnold S. Trachtman, chairman of the Boston chapter, claimed, "the demonstration was a smashing success." However, he admitted that he could not estimate the effect of the demonstration on the spectators.

Counter-Demonstration

Several hours later in the same area, the anti-Castro demonstrators, estimated at 500 strong, took three-quarters of an hour for a moonlight march around the sidewalks flanking the Boston Common.

Forming in front of the State House, the group was made up of Boston Cubans and members of YAF groups from local colleges. Parading before a generally favorable audience, the demonstrators carried such signs as "Cuba is a Red Satellite" and "Down With Castro," while singing the Cuban national anthem or shouting "Viva Kennedy."