18 Protesters of U.S. Latin Policies Fail in Arrest Bid

Eighteen opponents of U.S. military involvement in Central America staged a three-hour prayer vigil Friday in front of the downtown Federal Building in Los Angeles after their plans to be arrested for trespassing on federal property went awry.

In New York City, meanwhile, more than 60 people were arrested during a protest against a military museum.

Jeff Dietrich, a volunteer with Los Angeles Catholic Worker, a Roman Catholic Skid Row agency that staged the local protest, said he and 17 others had planned to present a Good Friday statement opposing Central American violence to officials inside the Federal Building at 300 N. Los Angeles St., thus forcing the arrests.

Doors Blocked

But with nearly 200 supporters looking on, uniformed federal officials blocked the building’s front doors to the protesters shortly after 2 p.m., forcing the 18 to stand outside.

Dietrich said the protesters would not force their way into the building. And a spokesman for the Federal Protection Service--in charge of security at the building--said no arrests would be made as long as the 18 stayed outside of the building.

The demonstration ended shortly after 5 p.m. when the building closed.

Authorities said they were hesitant to make arrests since U.S. Atty. Richard Bonner and the Los Angeles city attorney’s office have reversed themselves and announced that they will no longer prosecute protesters who want to get arrested to dramatize their opposition to U.S. policies in Central America.

In recent months, volunteers and supporters of the the Los Angeles Catholic Worker have staged similar protests in which demonstrators were either cited or arrested for trespassing at the Federal Building or the nearby Federal Courthouse.

As a result of one protest last December, some arrested demonstrators were sentenced to a day in jail after they refused to pay a $10 fine or perform community service.

1,000 at New York Rally

The New York demonstration drew more than 1,000 people opposed to the use of federal funds to operate a military museum on the Hudson River, police said.

The protest was part of an annual Good Friday peace walk through the city by members and supporters of Pax Christi, an international Roman Catholic organization, a spokesman for the group said.

Police arrested 66 demonstrators at the site of the former battleship Intrepid, now used as a museum. The demonstrators, many of whom lay down on the street to form the shape of a cross, were charged with disorderly conduct, issued summonses and released, police said.

John Dear, a spokesman for the demonstrators, charged that the museum--which displays a Cruise missile and shows battle films from World War II--is supported by $4.5 million in federal Housing and Urban Development funds.

“We think that money should instead go to low-income housing in New York City,” he said.