Advertisement

Students, Police Clash in Florida

Hundreds of white students fought with riot police for two hours yesterday after taking over the University of Florida administration building to protest the arrest of 68 members of the school's Black Student Union.

The students had taken over Tigert Hall on the Gainesville campus to demand the release of the arrested black students. About 50 policemen, armed with tear gas and water hoses, chased them from the building. Two hours of skirmishing between students and police followed.

University President Stephen O'Connell ordered the 68 black students arrested earlier in the day when they refused to leave his office until he met their demands.

Their first demand asked that the university recruit and admit 500 black students among next fall's 2800 freshmen. Less than 200 of the university's 20,000 students are black.

Advertisement
Advertisement