Box 18, Folder 30, Document 5

Box 18, Folder 30, Document 5

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A4 Thursday, Sept. 8, 1966 THE WASHINGTON POST



ATLANTA—From Page Al

SNCC Is Accused
Of Provoking Riot

taped interview with radio|having a national meeting

station WAOK. lhere before Tuesday’s out-
[“It is started by conditions| break.

of oppression,” he said.] | A city police source said
Mayor Allen, pledging that}SNCC members from New

the rioters and their instiga-| York, Philadelphia and the

tors will face criminal charges,, Watts community in Los An-

singled out Carmichael for | geles were believed to be at

criticism and said if he causes) i in-
further trouble he ‘will bey ree rea ees poenNien
met wherever he comes under | 7.0 y Nae
whatever conditions he seeks) The Atlanta summit lead-
to impose.” ‘ership conference, made up
Police continued to patrol of leaders of the city's top
the riot area just south of the|¢iyi) rights organizations, is-

new Atlanta Stadium today.) sued a statement declaring



During the afternoon they.
arrested 10 more Negroes in
putting down another brief)
disturbance attributed to two)
SNCC members. Tonight, |
Negro police and moderate}
Negro leaders rushed into}
Vine City, one of the city’s
worst slums, when 400 Ne-!
groes crowded into the}
streets. Some were fighting!
each other. About 10 police-|
men restored order.

SNCC’s increasing involve-
ment in violence and its bel-
ligerence toward police au-
thority have drawn criticism)
from civil rights leaders, but
most of them still refrain
from direct attacks or un-
equivocal breaks with the or-
ganization.

The six-year-old civil rights
organization has pursued a
more militant course since
Carmichael was elected chair-
man last May to replace John
Lewis. Carmichael recently

made statements about
“tearing up the country,”
“burning down courthouses,”
and fighting violence with
violence.

‘op leaders of SNCC, which
has purged most of its white
members and lost most of its
white supporters since em-
barking on helligerent pol-
icies»marked_by—“Black Pow-

that while Atlanta is not per-|
fect, “It is too good to be)
destroved by simpleminded|
bigots.”

The conference declared
that the wounding of a Negro}
auto theft suspect by a white|
policeman was “unfortunate,|
but not sufficient grounds for |
anyone or any organization to
go into a community and in-
cite the people.”

The shooting of the suspect,
Robert Prather, triggered the
SNCC-inspired demonstrations
against “police brutality.”

The summit conference,
which discussed but decided
against naming SNCC in its
statement, noted that Prather
was shot by “an officer in the
pursuit of his duty.”

Prather, shot in the hip and
side, was reported in satis-
factory condition at Grady
Memorial Hospital today. Be-
fore Tuesday's outbreaks,
SNCC members told Negro
demonstrators Prather had
been “murdered while hand-
cuffed.” Actually, he was shot
while fleeing police.







er” slogans, reportedly wére|
ne ry