Kissinger To Speak At U of M

Secretary of State Henry Kissinger tentatively agreed last week to speak at the University of Michigan's spring commencement exercises. Community reaction has ranged from merely pissed off to down right angry over Kissinger's scheduled appearance.

It may be remembered that last year, Gerald Ford, then vice -president, met with massive picketing, heckling and a walkout by numerous graduates when he addressed last May's U-M cornmencement.

As the major formulator of U.S. foreign policy under the Nixon and Ford administrations, Kissinger has been responsible for such actions as the Christmas, 1972 bombing of Hanoi and Haiphong, the four year prolongation of direct U.S. intervention in Indochina, and American subversion of the democratically elected Allende regime in Chile. Regarding the latter, he was quoted as saying, "We can not let a country go Marxist because of the irresponsibility of its own people."'

On Wednesday, April 9, fifty people met at the Friends international Center to plan opposition to Kissinger's appearance. A coaliton was formed, consisting of the Indochina Peace Campaign (IPC), Black Liberation Front, New Morning, and the American Friends Service Committee. The coalition is planning efforts to "dis-invite" Kissinger, and will be sponsoring a counter commencement to coincide with Kissinger's scheduled appearance.

All interested people are invited to attend a strategy session on Tuesday, April 15 at 7:30 pm. The meeting will be held in the IPC offices at 332 S. State (above Sak's Fifth Avenue). For more information, call IPC at 994-9041.