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NY 100-161445 CONFIDENTIAL "When asked if he considered himself a radical, Abbie Hoffman commented: 'Having a radical attitude today means teing optimistic and in that sense I do’. ten, + The controversial leader of the Youth Internat Party and one of the members of the 'Chicago Seven' spoke Thursday night at the Bates College gym following the showing of ‘On Trial! a two and one-half hour film on the trial of the seven defendants on charges of crossing state lines to cate aie . a. 3 i ee igh & | a é w 5 incite a riot. Pi "Dressed casually, in brown corduroy pants and a ce , white short-sleeve | Shirt speckled with Plowers {he said the oe Shirt was part of his preparation for gxing to Miami, and the aia 1972 Democratic Convention), Hoffman conversed easily with the : large crowd on a number of subjects. a "On the film, Hoffman commented that: ‘None of the aoe defendants that I've talked with are happy with how they were portrayed, yet we think the film is great and we are happy with it'. Hoffman Said that his role in the movie is played by Cliff Gorman, who _recently won a Tony award for his 42. -~t-.4 Ra. TT ay enny theatrical role in the Broadway pl ay ‘Ler iny' ° "Commenting that he found it difficult to speak about the film after viewing it, he said. ‘It's after you've_bécome an agnostic'. "Concerning the trial Hoffman said, ‘It's my general kind of impression that the law is so weird...so metaphysical. We, were tried for crossing state lines and having a state of mind...not for having guns or taking little kids or any of the usual kind of thing'. "tthe decision is currently on appeal and we expect that it will be thrown out and the case retried,' Hoffman said, regarding the possible 10-year prison sentence he and his fellow defendants are presently appealing. “Hoffman said he felt ‘incredible history will be made this summer in Miami‘ and said he could go along with the ‘support for George Mc Govern for president'. This statement was met with great applause. .