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~ — : . ~~: . UNC YATES DEPARTMENT OF Cy cE FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION | Sacramento, California In Reply, Please Refer to File No. August 11, 1975 that on August 10, 975, Cesar Chavez, United Farm Workers Union, President, addressed a rally and fiesta at the Merced County Fair- grounds on August 10, 1975. This rally and fiesta was attended by approximately 1,200 persons, and they were predominantly farm workers. Chavez stated that the United Farm Workers Union now has a better chance to challenge Teamsters Union contracts because they have been granted access to Gallo winery ranches in Modesto, California, and Livingston, California. Chavez spoke entirely in Spanish and the speech that he gave was reportedly basically the same one he had - been giving during the course of a 1,000 mile walk through a alt fac. California. - A Merced Police Department permit for this gathering was issued for the fairgrounds from 1:00-p.m. to 7:00 p.m. The band refused to stop playing at 7:00 p.m., * and Mereed, California Police Sérrean i — declared the gathering at the fairgrounds iilegal after . the 7:00 p.m. deadline and ordered the crowd’‘to aisperse. Cesar Chavez mounted the fairground bandstand and ordered the band to continue nlayineg Chavez told Serrccecanr = the band tue playing. Chavez told Sergeant that the gathering was a private party and the officers had no right to break it up. After Chavez ordered the band to continue, electrical connections for the musical instruments were discontinued and police reinforcements were called to the fairgrounds to disperse the crowd. During the time the crowd was being dispersed at the fairgrounds, police officers received notification that approximately 60 to 70 United Farm Workers were gathering and demonstrating in the lobby of the Merced Police Department. During this time, a brick was thrown into a window at the Police Station and, in addition, a glass Goor was broken. ° haa This document contains neither recommendations nor conclusions of the FBI. It is the property of the FBI and is loaned to your agency; it and its contents are not to be distributed ENCIC! SURE an outside your agency. ye Rt SEAS