200 Students Rally Against South Africa

Over 200 students from 10 area campuses gathered on the Cambridge Common last night to protest American policies toward South Africa. The rally followed a reportedly violence-tainted march from Boston University in which police arrested nine protesters for disorderly conduct.

The rally--also directed against U.S. Central America policy and President Reagan's proposed budget cuts--attracted fewer than 15 Harvard protestors. Boston University and MIT students made up the majority of the protesters.

A GSAS student at the rally. Douglas M. Brugge, said the lack of Harvard participation was explained by the concentration on today's midday rally in front of Memorial Church.

Reagan is allowing for "pervasive national oppression" in South Africa and the United States, one speaker charged.

A. B.U. protester, requesting anonymity, explained that the demonstration had chosen to link the three issues of apartheid, budget cuts, and Central America because they were all promulgated by the U.S. military-industrial complex.

Organizers said the demonstration included students from from Boston College. B.U., Brandeis, Brown, Harvard, M.I.T., Northeastern, Stonehill, Tutts and the University of Massachusetts at Boston.