Mississippi Project; Andrew Young Interview / Ted Mascott

We had our first demonstrating Brian Simpson gave us really permission supposedly and joined the police to protect the peaceful protests and have market freedom here in St. Augustine. About 400 people left the Church and Market. In the camp to protest segregation and all that they'll slave markets for about a block away by a group of about 30 25 to 30 young white men maybe 20 to 25 years. They confronted. The leader of the bar and. Really gave them a pretty good working. But then they stopped and we got

back up and continued marching. They met us a block away again attempted to cut off the mark I should say and the demonstrators in the line. And. The people being beaten is anything but the back up in line and we continue. The second time we were confronted. The police were standing right there and. One fellow was hit with a blackjack and was knocked down and kicked again. And it wasn't until after this that the police began in any way to attempt to provide protection. One policeman pushed these other fellows away but made no effort to arrest them. The third attack came as we returned to the Negro community. And wherever an Anglican chaplain at Boston University was on the line. Mainly because much of the white people

are not terribly hurt but really roughed up a little bit fell on him and covered him and pulled him back in the office. Things like this and it is as you can take it to a doctor or medical treatment. And I was sympathetic and planning to go back and finish with this meeting.

And what are your plans at this meeting. Committee is meeting. Mainly getting together. In any way interfere with our plans to continue demonstration the people were pretty much equally determined after they came back from the ark as they were before they went. Dr. King will join us in the morning and I think that things will begin fulfilling for me. I am having an Associated Press report after the third attack on your way back the negro section of St. Augustine a few demonstrators started to fight back. Is that true. Well in the front of the line I did leave the front of the line to go back to the back see what was going on what happened you had white men charging into the line that had many women and children and

people in it. I don't think that any attempt that that I know of you know to really go out and attack but there was an attempt to get between these men and the people they were attempting to run over women and some of them got some people intervened in any way when they were some of the white people you know. And how many people were in the line. Fifty or so and we know that comes from Boston. Do any of the other young ladies also a chaplain at Boston. I just they just came in and I mean let me see if I can find out his name. Barbara Smith That's right. Yeah. Do you know his name.

OK the other Chaplin. He was he was not her. All right. OK. Could you tell me any of the other white people came from the north. And could you tell me what about. The black couple on two different occasions.

Protect. Him away and the policeman pushed him away. Kind of retaliated to demonstrate. I say Oh but you say that. Why would you give us an estimate of what time you might have for your future plans more definite or what you write that the arrival of Dr. King back to about 11:00 in the morning. I say we should know something definite about 12:30 one but we would probably be involved in it.

I say oh well what are your goals in St. Augustine. Briefly really an open city. The segregating the public accommodation. Attempt to get a negro policeman fireman and his office workers in. The establishment of a biracial Committee. The charges against those arrests made those persons who were peacefully protesting the charges be dropped. And also could you tell me have you made. Request formally to the city you want back when we went into federal court and the judge asked for about a week's time. This was stopped for about 10 days ago but last Wednesday we again about the fifth make contact with the. White community. Both business leaders and the City Commission in the by. And one of the members of our staff Mr. Harry boy

happened to be white. Yes I spent about three days visiting in the white community trying to work through this and what the result really a lack of courage.