Defends Demonstrators, Asks Federal Court to Halt Police Interference with Protests

    10 Columbus Circle 
New York, N.Y. 10019 
JUdson 6-8397 

NAACP 

ok Defense and Educational Fund 
PRESS RELEASE 
President 

Dr. Allan Knight Chalmers FOR RELEASE 
Director-Counsel Wednesday 

Jack Greenberg August 4, 1965 

DEFENDS DEMONSTRAT, RS, ASKS FEDERAL COURT % 
TO HALT POLICE INTERFERENCE WITH PROTESTS % 

‘ SELMA------- "Maybe the next ara will be Greensboro," Hosea 

Williams of the Southern Christian Leadenship Conference said 

prophetically more than a week ago. 

The prophesy moved swiftly toward fulfillment today as NAACP 

Legal Defense and Educational Fund lawyers appeared in Federal 

Distrigt Court in Selma to argue for an injunction to prevent police 

in Greehsboro from interfering with peaceful protest demonstrations. 
FA Z 

The Legal Defense Fund lawyers will also ask Federal Judge 

Daniel H, Thomas to order police to provide protection for the 

demonstrators, 

Judge Thomas is the same jurist who earlier this year, at the 

request of the Legal Defense Fund, enjoined Dallas County Sheriff 

James G, Clark and other officials from interference with 

demonstrations in Selma, and cleared the way for the historic Selma 

to Montgomery march. 

(The Legal Defense Fund has since instituted contempt of court 

proceedings against Sheriff Clark, charging that he violated the 

“court order. The proceedings are presently pending.) be 

% While national attention began to focus on Greensboro onififsct 

week when nearly 500 demonstrators were arrested, the present wave of 

civil rights protests began last spring. 

‘ohin May and again in June, demonstrators marched from St, 

Motels AME Church down the town's main street to protest the slow 

pace of Negro voter registration, 

A third demonstration began July 26, following the burning of 

two Negro churches, The demonstrators had again planned to take to 

Main Street, march to the Hale County Courthouse and continue about 

four miles to one of the burned-out churches, - 

(Giese) 

Jesse DeVore, Jr., Director of Public Information—Night Number 212 Riverside 9-8487 SS 



& 

i 

. 4 Greensboro Police and the Hale County Sheriff's Department, seek 

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Defends Demonstrators, Asks Federal Court August 4, '65 
To Halt Police Interference With Protests 

» ex 

Local police, maintaining they couldn't protect the demon tr = 

srs if they marched through downtown Greensboro, ordered the: 

marchers to bypass the courthouse and take a back-road route to i ue 

the burned church, 

When the marchers refused and attempted a march on the 

courthouse, they were turned back at a police barricade by a 

barrage of tear gas. 

Local officials, concerned as demonstrators took up a vigi 

near the barricade, called on state police reinforcements. Pal 

On July 28, after nearly three days of the civil rights vigil 

at the barricade, police removed the barrier, and ordered the 

demonstrators to disperse. When they refused, police, led by the 

same state highway patrol major who ordered the use of clubs and 

tear gas to halt the first attempted Selma to Montgomery march 

March 7, began a series of mass arrests. 

4 By July 30, nearly 500 persons had been arrested on charges 

of obstructing traffic and failure to disperse. 

However, Legal Defense Fund attorneys acted swiftly to 5 
‘ 

petition for the removal of the criminal cases to federal diste ee 

ae and succeeded having all the defendants released on Te : 

‘over the weekend, 

= ts Meanwhile, Legal Defense Fund lawyers last Thursday file 
si] 
petition for an injunction against the Alabama State Highway « Ret 

fo prevent further interference with peaceful demonstrations. 

Agguments will be heard on the petiton today. 
4 z 

* For further information contact Atty. Norman C. ay 
% 

C#Stephen Ralston or Atty. Oscar Adams, They can be reacted 

at} the Federal Courthouse in Selma or through Mr. Adams' atfice in 

“Brimingham, (205) 324-4445, 
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330