At his press conference is being held at the request of the Latin American Defense Organization, that the coalition that I was going to say that ended our Mr. Obed Lopez, OBED Lopez LOPEZ, who is executive secretary of this Latin American Defense Organization, speaking on behalf of the Poor People's Coalition and Mr. the Core of People's Coalition at the next. Oh all that, all the Lopez. He has requested this time to make a statement relative to a situation in Chicago and one of the theological seminaries that belongs to the United Presbyterian Church in the United States of America. Along with him, not with him, but one side of him is the Reverend Dr. William Schram s c h r a m, who is the pastor of the Pelham, Pelham Memorial Church. And I'm sorry Huguenot Memorial Church. Oh, hey, this stuff, you're going to h you g you, you, you e and you're going out memorial in Pelham, New York. I was right about to tell you. Dr. Schram is a member of the board of directors of McCormick Seminary and is a member of its executive committee. We're going to proceed then Mr. Lopez reading a statement that has been prepared and will then bring you up to date on the situation in Chicago as he knows it. McCormick Seminary. And then there will be time for questions. Dr. Schram will respond if you want him to on the position of the board of directors as he knows it at the moment is that how clear this statement will be distributed. After the press conference, we were short on time and could not get copies ready. I'm sorry. We will have at least not just wrapped up, but we all clear on the ground. Mr. Lopez, you will go ahead with.

The McCormick Theological Seminary Administration building was taken over last night by a coalition of poor people's organizations led by the Young Lords organization, the Latin American Community Organization. The action was taken after the seminary administration and its board of directors refused the demands of the coalition. The community coalition has charged McCormick Seminary with aiding and abetting the removal of poor people from the Lincoln Park area by providing considerable assistance to the Department of Urban Renewal in its efforts to transform Chicago's ignored area into a homogeneous middle income community. The demands seek to reverse the seminaries role in the Lincoln Park area on Chicago's North Northside by providing the seminary an opportunity to take an active, constructive role in building a better community with Latin American and other poor people. Jose Charger Jimenez Young Lord neither stated in a press conference in Chicago that the community was forced into action after the seminary administration alleged that for on foot institutional limitations prevented them from meeting the demands. Mr. Humaneness further stated that the coalition occupying the St. building is determined to stay until the demands are completely met. The provision includes the Young Lawyers Organization, the Latin American Defense Organization, that concerned citizens survival front of Lincoln Park Welfare Mothers of the Lincoln Park area and the Young Patrons Organization. A poor white youth organization

that's one of the statement, and we'll have copies of that for you now. Lopez, you have some demands that were made upon the seminary you want to present to

the demands that were presented to the McCormick Theological Seminary. You are the following number one about a McCormick seminary immediately turned over to the community six hundred eighty one thousand dollars for low cost housing development. These figures, by the way, saw the 30 percent. Of unrestricted funds that the General Assembly of the United Presbyterian Church,

my

mandated studies are correct way that be invested in this kind of of. In this in this area. No, to that that a McCormick provided building and recreational facilities for the badly needed or operative daycare center that the seminary provided was so that children can be picked up for the center. Number three, that all the apartments owned by McCormick and rented to people in the community should be rented to poor and working class families. Number four, the defense around McCormick be turned down so that the seminary can become a five to the community, not a fortress against the community. Number five, we demand that the stone building be made available to the Puerto Rican community for the creation of a Puerto Rican cultural center to preserve and strengthen our cultural and historical heritage, and to transmit these values to other peoples in our community and in Chicago. If it is found mutually advantageous to the McCormick's seminary and to the young Blur's organization, we propose that the seminary make available to the Youngers organization sufficient funds to purchase the property of Armitage Dayton Methodist Church to be made the Puerto Rican Cultural Center number six. That McCormick extend the grant in the amount of twenty five thousand dollars twenty five thousand dollars to the Junglers organization to be used in a community leadership development program and in the continuation and strengthening of the work of protecting and serving our community. Number seven McCormick actively support the efforts of the Latin American Defense Organization to end the arbitrariness of the Cook County Department of Public Aid in its dealing with welfare recipients and with welfare recipients defense groups. Specifically, we demand that McCormick publicly support the three demands at Vlado Latin American Defense Organization, along with a week apart coalition for what rights have submitted to David Daniel, director of the Cook County Department of Public Aid, and the judge done president of the Cook County Board of Commissioners. The demands are no run. Removal of Rodney Cunningham. District Office Supervisor and James Patterson, Assistant Office of Divisor. For the lack of sensitivity to the needs and the human dignity of welfare recipients, they will get back public aid office, which serves, by the way, the area known as Lincoln Park to be my number three boys in the interpretation and implementation of welfare laws and regulations are the weakest part of this level. We demand that this support be expressed in letters to David Daniels, director of the County Department of Public Aid at the George Dunn, president of the Cook County Board of Commissioners. Number eight, we demand that McCormick Seminary extend the grant in the amount of twenty five thousand dollars to the Latin American Defense Organization to further our aims of creating a strong organization for welfare recipients in our community. Number nine, McCormick said, publicly opposed and condemned the political persecution carried out by the City of Chicago against poor people's organizations such as the Black Panther Party, the Latin American Defense Organization and the Young Lords organization. McCormick, most demanded from the respective authorities that charges arising out of political arrests be dropped by the complainant's institutions, namely Department of Urban Renewal. Cook County Department of Public Aid. Chicago Police Department. The City of Chicago. And the State's Attorney's Office. The Young Lawyers Organization. And The Wicker Park welfare of these defendants and in particular, Jose. Judge Jimenez. I know that Lopez was not be jailed and punished for their beliefs in justice and for their concern for their communities rights. No team that McCormack similarly expend as seed money grant in the amount of twenty five thousand dollars to establish a legal bureau controlled by poor people's organizations, the attorneys to be chosen by the organizations to work full time for them. And to be responsible only to them. The time limit that we gave at the time at the on the day of the British invasion was seven days. But on that particular day, which meant that May 13 was the time limit.

I know you've heard these demands and this statement we will have copies of you will give those to Mr. Gore. You have copies made immediately. And now, Dr. Schramm, do you have anything to say? I was not in response to sell, but any point of clarification from each one of the board of directors action.

I think it probably should be said that the Board of Directors meeting in its annual meeting on May seven was happy to hear from Mr. Lopez and representatives of the welfare welfare mothers representing the black community and others, because McCormack has consistently expressed his concern to all the community in which it's located. Consistently over the years, sort of if were to do those kinds of things which are supportive of the welfare, not only of its its own immediate community seminary and its families and students, but also those in the neighborhood around very happy to hear from Mr. Lopez and others who came with him at our official board meeting that time, the demands that were now read to you were presented to the board. And in response to those demands, the board, by official action replied individually to each one on that date of May seven. These the response of the seminary to each one of these is available, but they haven't been released. The response, having been released on May 12 following the board meeting, I believe is going to be made available so that that that they will be able to determine exactly what the official response of the board of directors was.

Now are there specific questions that very a lot of people should not travel to exactly what part of government has had to get any kind of economic involvement?

I think perhaps at this point, the specifics of this must be handled by someone who is immediately involved in the seminary community itself from the seminary community through the air marshals, got a member of the faculty of the work that he has been doing Urban Studies Seminar. He's been very much involved. Over three of a number of years in various community groups and organizations are very much interested involved in the whole Lincoln Park renewal operation beginning now. There are many other things that they've been doing that I am not particularly informed about. In as much as as a member of the board of directors, I'm not immediately on the scene. Perhaps that kind of firing might more properly be addressed, remembered or better addressed to a member of the faculty.

We do have a member of the faculty present, but that's all that removed that he and some others of these two are here and then we can go on from there, then draft first. Mr. Lopez to have an organization. Is this one that together the one that you mentioned with a larger group that is to represent who's a member of the organization,

the Latin American Defense Organization, which is one of the groups that are part of the coalition that presented the demands to my seminary as an organization that was created in 1966 after the disturbances that took place on Division Street in Chicago, which was which is a Spanish speaking community in the last three years. We have been working mainly on the problems that the welfare department creates for our families that are receiving public assistance. And anyone that is that is concerned about the problems that we have in the welfare with a welfare system, with with the police department, with the political structure in Chicago that are ready to work and be and are in fact members of the Latin American Defense Organization. I like to point out that mainly through the work that we have done in the area, what? For a coalition, a very strong coalition has developed in Chicago. At first, we could say in in the city of Chicago, whereby or through which a settlement agencies, Presbyterian, settlement agencies, for instance, and others have become embroiled for the first time in the history in direct actions intended to bring about some relief. It was very CPB's. So this is the kind of word that we have that we have done. And in this kind of work, as I said, we have been joined by different settlement agencies that operate in the what is known as this week, a park area.

Gentlemen, but you have to us

in terms of numbers, there are some numbers. We don't divulge information

as I have five people were asked questions. I know of John, you first. Who will next? Mr. Wilson, Mr. Dorgan and this gentleman. Well, you know the answers to of similar reasons for stepping forward in both coalition and area organizations.

Or yes, this coalition is coalition of groups that are that are that exist in the Lincoln Park area and in the near north side and the Young Lords organization. This is an organization of young people that five years ago where what is commonly referred to as a gang because of their experiences with the police, because of the they develop the political awareness that would enable them to channel their frustrations that they had into into political outrage, social action. I like to mention that the Young Lords organization at this point is the strongest community group that the spanish-speaking community has. The one that understands very clearly what I know who the enemy of our people is, namely this the system, the system that keeps poor people oppressed. This is the Young Lords organization. Your groups are the big concerns. Dear Citizens and survival front of Lincoln Park is a group of composed mainly of poor whites that live in the Lincoln Park area and they, together with a young lords organization, have been fighting since two or three years ago. The the removal of poor people. So the urban renewal projects.

Mr. Del Rio has a question. You have stated that you cannot give the exact number of members, but can you give us a breakdown of the different ethnic groups? For example, what percentage of Puerto Ricans is involved in the labor organization? What percentage of Mexican-Americans? What percentage of Negroes, one that of the first person and the second person who finances their leader?

Yes. OK. As the group, as a name indicates, is Latin America, maybe its composition? It doesn't mean that that wide welfare recipients or black welfare recipients that are in need of assistance are going to be refused in different actions that we have had in the past, such as rent strikes. We had the people involved in there were evenly divided between black tenants and spanish-speaking tenants. The area where we work in the area of welfare is the spanish-speaking population is mainly Puerto Rican. That's that's a Puerto Rican area. So that's reflected in the membership that that is affecting the membership, our finances. We have only three people that are what you would consider full time staff. Two of these persons are young women that are they do they substitute teachers? And that's the way they are. That's the way we manage duplexes. We have received at one point or another, financial aid from groups such as the American Friends Service Committee. Well, the name the name one from sympathetic and concerned white, but you would call liberal enough citizens.

Maurice, your next and then George Lopez in the event that seminary. Within a reasonable period of time does not make your satisfaction. And what happens then?

Well, the reason why I am here in San Antonio is I was asked by the rest of the members of the Coalition to come and present the case of the community before the General Assembly. And I am confident that within a very short time, you know, the creation of the response of the McCormick Seminary to the poor community will be made to the order of the of the day. I am confident that the McCormick Seminary and the United Presbyterian Church will realize the fact that churches and religious institutions cannot any longer turn their backs to poor people. And I am. I am. I trust that the General Assembly will accept whatever influence it has upon the McCormick Seminary and that they will very shortly come to terms with the community where they are located, but have not. I refuse to believe that that an academic seminary in the Presbyterian Church. I am not aware that they can no longer close their eyes to the poor people in this nation.

We must move on. We have George. Do I get your question? All right now, we would television question. I wasn't quite like it, Mr. Lopez. What other churches are there in the area? First, what do you plan to do about approaching the other churches that are you?

Well, let me say that. Let me explain why my forming a group of students and faculty of the McCormick Seminary prepared a report on the role of the McCormick Seminary in the urban renewal plans and to quote to prod the first paragraph on this story. These will help you understand why McCormick McCormick Theological Seminary says this report has played a major role in driving poor families out of the Lincoln Park neighborhood, providing considerable assistance to Chicago's Department of Urban Renewal in its efforts to transform the immediate community in which the seminary is located in the homogeneous white middle class area. What we the reason why we have come to McCormick first is because we consider that McCormick Seminary had a lot to do. It was because of the influence of the McCormick Seminary that other major institutions decided to remain in Lincoln Park and began to do, putting two into factor expert plans of expansion and thereby, you know, moving poor people out of the community within that McCormick Seminary since they had this lady's role must be the first ones that set the example of the opposite way that is beginning to relate and begin to support and begin to assist poor people in the community. One of their

experience as the seminary, but driven people out of that community and European culture reply to the charge you just

made. Certainly not in terms of the nature of the question. It is not driven people out in terms of any kind of willful attempt to do so because as is true and it made the decision to remain in that area. This this because other institutions also determined to remain attempt to rehabilitate India, which at that point was rapidly deteriorating to the regret of the seminary. The that the demolition program was far exceeded the capacity or the will which to to to rebuild the seminaries. Equally concerned about this problem and this so indicated in its response to Mr. 3:58, people's demands that it made on the seminary

then feels it has gotten out of hand. The program was in fact,

the same seminary field, but the housing has not indeed kept pace with the demolition and that as a result, it is the poor who are being dispossessed from their homes for urban renewal are in fact having to pay the price for this in this period.

I have John Harbison and Sylvia Sylvia. You have a question. Yes, I am a little confused in your state. She says that she was when the time is up and then when you were talking to Mr. Wilson, I gave the impression that you're now here to demands to the General Assembly for now. Yes. What do you mean by the time is up? Nature also? All right. Have you all taken over the building, the ship, the very or are you or what?

Well, I I think we've. Yes. Last night, the Coalition, under the leadership of the Young Lords organization, took possession of the Asfar Stone Administration building and and the reason why this was done is very, you know, a very good one. We feel that in a community where the housing for the poor is nonexistent and is decreasing day after day, it is a crime that is a crime against poor people to build structures that are that are worth two million dollars. Which bond do anything for the poor to have a building that caused the million that are erected in a place where there are no funds for the for the people listening to the people? And it was for that reason that the building was taken was taken over to make that point, you know, to have to put that point across to the people in the city of Chicago and throughout the nation, the confusion as to the time limit it was arising. Let me explain this question on the seven represented the representative demands to the board of directors, and we felt that by the third thing, they would have some satisfactory answer. The 13 came and and the answers that we received. We did not consider them to be satisfactory, and it was at that point when the board of directors admitted that they that they could do nothing because, as they put it, they have institutional limitations that are that stop them from responding to the committee. Then we felt that we had to come to the General Assembly because one of the things that was said was that the mandate that the General Assembly had given to McCormick as a theological institution wouldn't. That would include the kind of response that we had asked of them.

One question here from gentlemen, I'll go back over here. Dr. Francis Seminary feeling the may they are, we

think the response of the seminary to the economic demands and carefully articulated in the in the board's response. One of the problems, of course, is pointed out that funds would be a lot given for theological education. The directive indicated the deal it it's inappropriate to divert to to to to other other purposes than those for which they were given by their by their donors. And this so indicated in the response.

Very much care first on that point. Since the General Assembly polls do, what is the format decided to support the request, 30 percent?

I think the McCormick Seminary Board has responded by indicating its willingness and its desire to do so. Through its investment committee. It has begun the process of investing 30 percent of its unrestricted funds. The figure of 600 one Mr. Lopez mentioned is is indeed that amount, of which some 200000 has already been invested in such works approved by Petco. Negotiations are underway by the investment committee to to determine ways in which these the remainder of these funds can be sold in the best works with the guidelines established by the General

Assembly's, most people aren't. Matthews has one more of Mr. Regular where with

your organization, consider the seminary study area.

Yes, I think that we have nothing against religious institutions being located in improv communities. I think that what is behind our demands is the belief that we cannot accept religious institutions being physically present in our community yet and that are not relating to that community. You know, I think that when one of the demands that we have made, specifically the fences that the iconic seminary, his arm around its facilities, we remember that in August of 1968, at the height of the disturbances created by the police department and the City of Chicago, the McCormick's McCormick Seminary had signs saying very clearly that that McCormick's I mean something to the effect that McCormick's mean I had not invited any any any one as gays, and that people that would come into the into the facilities would be prosecuted for trespassing. That made them the people that at that point were being persecuted by the political forces in Chicago. And that the kind of attitude something is mentioned in these reports about children from the community being chased away from the playgrounds or the McCormick seminary. You know, we feel that this is not the kind of attitude that we appreciate from religious institutions that are physically in our community. And what we say is that religious institutions, especially on every other institution that that that remains in our community, basically must also be there spiritually and in all senses, you know, to be truly part of our community, not be something alien, something apart from our poor people's stereo.

We must I must remind you that in 15 minutes, we are going to have Mr. Foreman upstairs when I need to get ready for that show. Your question? Yes. People were involved in the double.

The number of people involved in the initial takeover was limited to 50 people. That included welfare with their mothers, their children, the young, the members of the Young Lords organization and members of the Young Patriots organization and the members of the Concerned Citizens and Survival Fund. I like to add on this point it not ask that from the very beginning, we have made very clear that is the coalition that we are not intent on destroying property, that we are not intent on, on creating violence and violence. If any violence develops, that's going to be the violence that is created by the intervention of the other Chicago police force. That's the only that's the only situation where we foresee possibilities of violence. What we the reason why the Junglers organization and the other groups took the step is because we want to confront the religious institutions with their own inadequacies, with their own inconsistencies. And hopefully out of this kind of confrontation, we can develop a new spirit of brotherhood and a new spirit of community that is badly needed in Chicago.

So this is what you intend to talk about.

I would hope that that it will be a short time, but I but I know that people will leave until the demands are met. We hope force

confrontation is

not a confrontation. Is it already? We have the building, you know, we have the building.

I mean, the question here. What are your demands on you atmosphere? It was a tragedy, but it should not be arrested and prosecuted for future political crime and you fear, been arrested and prosecuted.

I have been arrested and I have been prosecuted and there are more prosecutions to come and the ones that we're talking about. Let me say Judge Humaneness, as I said, he saw at this point, one of the most important leaders, if not the most important leaders that we have in the city. Well, let me put it, rephrase it. The most important either that we have in the in the city of Chicago, in our community are the Chicago Police Department and the city of Chicago have consistently harassing. He's he's picked up on any excuse. And right now, there are several charges pending against him that we consider to be nothing else but one free maps and open harassment that could put him in jail for the terms of of up to 10 years. Now we know that that not even when when the youngest organizations were on the stage that you call gang leader even at that point, you know. Was he ever in jail for that period of time, for that length of time? Well, now that he has developed into into a genuine leader of our people, now that he has that he's not involving in petty criminal acts, but in acts of of social justice. Now they are trying to put in a wait and to a lesser degree. There are. I have faced the same situation. I have been either at this point. Several charges. I have three criminal felony charges against me. And if I am convicted of these charges, I am subject to deportation because I am a Mexican citizen and we it is we are of the opinion that these are we have not committed any other crimes and trying to develop strong political organizations for our people. And this is not only crime and they will be part of the mob action that was two charges of aggravated assault and battery against police officers. And I'd like to mention that the time that I was arrested on these particular charges to my left, I hit a Presbyterian minister and to my right, I head I Presbyterian social worker for one of the Presbyterian settlement agencies of the area.

I'm going to call up with Ben Borden. I'm going to ask just to the question what would be how old you are?

I am 30 years old

and you say you are a Mexican citizen. Well, I didn't get to go to Mexico to organize or are you actually not going to Texas?

So I came to the United States 12 years ago and I came with the purpose of finding employment. In the process, I learned a few facts of American life and I became involved in political action. Could I ask you about a

confession or creative activity?

I assume your full time now. Yes. Well, my background I I-Team when I was 18 years old, the Chicago, I went to night school and from 1958 to 1962 I went to night school until finally I was able to get a high school diploma in from 1962 to 1964. I served in the. The United States Army, I was stationed in Fort Knox after that, yes, as a Mexican citizen that is a permanent resident of the United States, I am subject to the draft. And I served two years in the army. Then from 1964 to 1966, I work as a laborer in the I Know Factory Western Electric and 1966, as I mentioned before, a series of disturbances took place in our community. It was at that point that I decided that I could be of some use as attempting to organize a community. Well, I think Mr.

Martinez has worked very well

with Mr. Jose Cha, a humanist GI M.E.N. He is the chairman of the Young Lawyers Organization. Mr. Humanas is 21 years old. He's got a big decision. No, it is not a paid position.

All right. I have these statements and I think we have got you upstairs once one time.