Gates Cancels CSUN Visit After Groups Plan Protest

Los Angeles Police Chief Daryl Gates canceled a scheduled appearance before a conservative student organization at Cal State Northridge on Wednesday because he feared his appearance would lead to disruptions by protesters.

Gates had been invited to speak by Students for America, whose leaders say they support the U.S. Constitution, free enterprise, family values and the superiority of Western culture. A variety of student groups representing Chicanos, blacks, Koreans, gays and lesbians had planned to speak out against Gates.

Stefan Khatchaturian, chairman of Students for America in California, said the demonstrators posed a potential danger to Gates. “I assume the people would try to incite violence if they came here,” he said.

But Gabriel Buelna, chairman of the Chicano student organization MEChA, said no violence was planned. “We contacted the campus security and told them we . . . just wanted to ask questions,” he said.

He said the various groups had planned to challenge Gates on his department’s treatment of minorities, a prominent issue since the videotaped beating of a black motorist in March.

Police Department spokesman Fred Nixon said Gates’ decision not to show up Wednesday was not made out of any fear for his safety. “The chief just didn’t want to tax the resources of campus police . . . and didn’t want to pit one student group against another,” Nixon said. “He believed that more harm than good would result from his visit now.”

CSUN Police Chief Stanley Friedman said he alerted Gates’ office to plans for demonstrations outside the University Theater, where Gates was to speak. But he said the appearance would not have created a security problem for his 20-officer force.

Nixon said Gates has agreed to speak to the student group at some time in the future.