DEMONSTRATORS FOILED

Press, Volume XCVIII, Issue 28792, 13 January 1959, Page 9

DEMONSTRATORS FOILED

Mikoyan’s Aircraft Diverted By Smog

(N.Z. Press Association—Copyright) x (Rec. 930 p.m.) LOS ANGELES, January 12.

Smog yesterday was responsible for a quiet reception for the Soviet First Deputy Premier (Mr Mikoyan) when he arrived at Los Angles from San Francisco on a three* day -visit.

Mr Mikoyan’s plane was diverted from the Los Angeles International Air Terminal to Burbank airport, about 25 miles away, because of the smog which made the landing at Los Angeles too hazardous. The diversion upset the plans of a crowd of refugees—estimated to number between 750 and 1000 persons—who gathered at Los Angeles to demonstrate against Mr Mikoyan.

Only about 100 persons were on hand when Mr Mikoyan’s plane landed at Burbank. There were no demonstrations.

. Mr Mikoyan was taken by car from Burbank into Los Angeles, where he is staying at the Ambassador Hotel. A group of bystanders applauded Mr Mikoyan as he entered the hotel.

The Los Angeles police chief, Mr William Parker, told journalists that threats against Mr Mikoyan had been received by the police, and added: "There will be no demonstrations in the vicinity of this party while it is in Los Angeles." Police had moved among the crowd at the International airport before Mr Mikoyan's plane came overhead yesterday, and while the plane circled, waiting to see if it could land, they picked up about half a dozen intending demonstrators.

The police seized eggs, a slingshot, placards, and a sack full of rubber masks. They questioned the men with these goods in their possession and then released them. Some of the refugees were resentful of the police action. Janos Dolinsky, •an architect-engineer who came to Los Angeles two years ago from Hungary, said: “We had an agreement we could picket with signs and hand out material as long as it was peaceful Now officers have confiscated our leaflets and books.