MR. NIXON; THE DEMONSTRATORS FIGHTING WITH POLICE.




Initials



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Background: REPUBLICAN PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE RICHARD NIXON LOOKED OUT AT A JEERING CROWD IN FRESNO, CALIFORNIA, AS THEY SHOUTED: "WE WANT HUMPHREY!" HE WAS JEERED, HECKLED AND PICKETED BY A SMALL GROUP OF FARM WORKERS FOR HIS OPPOSITION TO THEIR GRAPE BOYCOTT. IT WAS THE NOISIEST AND MOST HOSTILE DEMONSTRATION MR. NIXON HAS ENCOUNTERED SINCE HIS NOMINATION.

CHANTING, "STRIKE! STRIKE!", ABOUT 35 MEXICAN-AMERICAN FARM WORKERS BEGAN THEIR PROTEST AS MR. NIXON ARRIVED AT THE FRESNO CONVENTION CENTRE. THEY ALSO JEERED CALIFORNIA GOVERNOR RONALD REAGAN AS HE TRIED TO INTRODUCE THE PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE. MR. REAGAN ALSO OPPOSES THE BOYCOTT.

POLICE STRUGGLED WITH THE DEMONSTRATORS AND SEIZED THEIR SIGNS. THEY EJECTED ONE DEMONSTRATOR WHEN HE REFUSED TO SURRENDER HIS PLACARD, MR. REAGAN REFERRED TO THE DEMONSTRATORS AS "NOISY BARBARIANS" WHO WILL NOT "FOLLOW ORDERLY PROCEDURES." THE ONLY OTHER DEMONSTRATION MR. NIXON HAS FACED WAS A SMALL GROUP OF ANTI-WAR DEMONSTRATORS LAST SATURDAY.

THE NATION-WIDE GRAPE BOYCOTT OF CALIFORNIA WAS ORGANIZED BY A FARM WORKERS UNION TO FORCE FARM OWNERS TO RECOGNISE THE UNION. MR. NIXON WAS APPLAUDED BY SOME 50 OWNERS IN THE AUDIENCE WHEN HE CALLED THE BOYCOTT WRONG BECAUSE "YOU DON'T PENALIZE A WHOLE INDUSTRY FROM SOME DEFICIENCIES THAT APPLY TO ONLY A SMALL SEGMENT OF IT."
MR. NIXON'S DEMOCRATIC RIVAL FOR THE PRESIDENCY, VICE-PRESIDENT HUBERT HUMPHREY, HAS ENDORSED THE BOYCOTT.