Oregon daily
emerald
Friday, May 3, 1985
Eugene, Oregon
Volume 86, Number 146
Crowd rallies for released protesters
Energy concentrated on continued fight
Photo by Ron Martin
Apartheid protesters Adam Ward (left) and Arthur Mortell
wasted no time Thursday between being released from the Lane
County Jail and urging continued struggle against South
African racism. About 100 students and community members
gathered across the street from the jail to cheer the released
demonstrators.
By Paul Ertel?
Of the Emerald
University students Adam
Ward and Arthur Mortell step
ped out of the Lane County Jail
Thursday and into afternoon
sunshine and warm applause
from waiting supporters.
Ward and Mortell, who were
among the 89 people arrested
during an anthapartheid rally
Wednesday night, were releas
ed on bond at about 2:45 p.m.
Nine juveniles arrested at the
rally were released earlier from
Skip worth Juvenile Home.
“This is not the climax; this
is the beginning... and we’re
off to a good start,” Ward told
about 100 people waiting across
the street from the jail. '
Mortell, too, encouraged the
crowd to continue fighting
South Africa’s racial policies
and the U.S. government’s sup
port of South Africa. “We have
rattled them, but we have yet to
completely rattle,” he said.
The protesters were arrested
after a sit-in at the Federal
Building that followed a rally in
the EMU Courtyard. Most pro
testers were charged with
trespassing. Costas Christ,
editorial page editor of the
Emerald, was charged with in
terfering with the police.
Also, 86 of the protesters
were cited for making false
statements. When arrested, they
identified themselves as Steve
Biko, 25, of Freetown, South
Africa.
Biko, the leader of the South
Africa Black Student Union and
a prominent anti-apartheid ac
tivist, died in September 1977
during an interrogation by
South African police. Official
cause of death was listed as self
inflicted head wounds, but that
version has been rejected by
anti-apartheid activists, who
consider Biko a martyr for their
cause.
Ward said the protesters used
Biko’s name to promote
solidarity and unity but later
gave their real names at the ad
vice of an attorney. Ward added
that it was important to raise
consciousness about apartheid
among people in the United
States and throughout the
world.
“Once the weight of that con
sciousness hits the government
of South Africa, the moral
weight will crush that system,”
he said.
Ward said he was treated well
during his night in jail, but he
added he did not want to get ar
rested again if it did not
stimulate others to get involved
in the anti-apartheid cause.
“It’s not important what goes
on in there; what’s important is
what goes on out here,” he said.
The protesters’ release was
greeted by enthusiastic ap
plause from the crowd of sup
porters who lined Fifth Avenue
across from the jail. Many of the
supporters had gathered in the
EMO Courtyard for a noontime
rally before marching
downtown.
Once at the jail, they waited
almost two hours, chanting,
singing and listening to
speakers. Protesters were releas
ed in small groups throughout
the afternoon and evening.
They were released as quickly
as they could be processed, a
sheriff’s deputy said.
Although most of those ar
rested were University
students, several students from
South Eugene High School were
taken into custody.
A. 15-year-old student named
Abe, one of those arrested, said
he was persuaded to join the
protest after seeing stories about
South Africa on television
newscasts.
“South Africa is really
there,” Abe said,. ‘‘When you
see a person crying because
their kid got killed, because
their husband got killed, it’s a
real person — they really did
get killed.
‘‘I think a lot of people see it
and don’t consider what they
see. It’s almost like entertain
ment to them,” he added.
Several of the students
reported reactions from their
parents ranging from
understanding to hysteria.
A father of a 16-year-old who
was arrested admitted Wednes
day night that he had mixed
feelings about the situation.
“I’m a little apprehensive
about his arrest, but it’s not the
first time he has been arrested,”
he said. “He was in one of these
when he was 1% years old.”
Organizers of Thursday's ral
ly vowed to continue their ac
tivism and encouraged people
to attend a Student’s Against
Apartheid meeting at noon
Saturday at the Koinonia
Center, 1414 Kincaid St.
The apartheid issue will be
debated in the Oregon
Legislature today when the
House Human Resources Com
mittee holds a work session on a
bill to divest state funds in
vested in companies doing
business in South Africa.
The session on House Bill
2001 begins at 1:30 p.m. in
Hearing Room D of the Capitol
Building in Salem.
See related photo Page 3A
Bnles sanity argued in trial
Series marks end
of Nazi Germany
A series of lectures and a film examining the
defeat of Nazi Germany and the fate of East Euro
pean peoples will be held tonight and Saturday,
concluding a week-long look at World War II.
The free public humanities symposium, titl
ed “Forty Years after V-E Day,” is sponsored by
the University’s Russian and East European
Studies Center in commemoration of the sur
render of Nazi Germany on May 7, 1945.
Today’s events include a lecture on "The
Soviet Defeat of Nazi Germany. The Search for a
Usable History,” presented by Professor Alan
Kimball in 107 Lawrence Hall from 3:30 to 6 p.m.
Immediately following, Stephen Reynolds,
associate professor of religious studies, will talk
on “The Fate of Religions in the Western USSR
from the End of World War II.”
“The Impact of World War II on the Non
Russian Nationalities of the European USSR” is
the topic of a speech by Vernon Asparturian, of
Pennsylvania State University, tonight at 7:30
p.m., also in 107 Lawrence Hall.
By Jolayne Houtz
Of the Kmerald
The "guilty except for insanity” defense came
under scrutiny Thursday in the trial of former Eugene
resident Douglas Andrew Briles, who allegedly attack
ed a University professor last November and set fire to
his house.
Deputy District Attorney Frank Papagni told jurors
in his closing argument that Briles knew what he was
doing when he went to the house of Harry Wolcott, 56,
a University education and anthropology professor.
"All the facts add up to show that this young man
(Briles) wants to extract the best revenge he can get,”
Papagni said.
Briles, 24, of Escondido, Calif., is charged with
first-degree arson, first-degree burglary and second
degree assault in a Nov. 8 fire that destroyed Wolcott’s
home at 85711 S. Willamette St.
Defense attorney Ted Carp contends that Briles
committed the crime while suffering from a mental ill
ness that was aggravated or caused by his homosexual
relationship with Wolcott, who allegedly exploited
Briles while writing a scholarly article on Briles’ life
history.
The burden of proof rests with the defense, who
must prove that Briles suffered from a mental disease or
defect when he committed the crime. Briles is a
diagnosed paranoid schizophrenic and also suffers
from an anti-social personality disorder.
In Oregon, personality disorders do not qualify as
mental illnesses that would enable a defendant to be
found not criminally responsible for his or her actions.
Papagni pointed out that in testimony that was
recorded immediately after Briles’ arrest. Briles admit
ted that he knew what he had done was wrong.
‘‘We're not denying that Mr. Wolcott seduced him,
manipulated the relationship,” Papagni said. ‘‘He did.
But...this wasn’t delusional thinking — this was
revenge.”
Papagni said Briles wanted to “get even” with
Wolcott, whom Briles blamed for ruining his life
because of their sexual relationship.
Carp focused his arguments on Wolcott’s
testimony that he initiated most contact with Briles and
on Briles' history of family and emotional problems.
‘‘The boy is vulnerable emotionally,” Carp said.
“The signs were already there in terms of
loneliness. He’s immature and he’s not so
bright. . . he’s on the bare edge of survival,” Carp said.
'Harry Wolcott is seeking help for Doug
Briles. . .but it’s help with a hook,” he said.