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ABBOTT HOWARD HOFFMAN The press conference broke off abruptly and Hoffman and his group left the area immediately. Approximately thirty individuals listened to his press conference, most of whom were visitors to this National Monument. A Special Agent of the FSI observed the entire press conference, Hoffman again spoke at Lowell Lecture Hall, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, from approximately 7:30 P.M. to 8:19 P.M., on October 26, 1969. an a z a owell Lecture Hall end approximately twelve r hundred people, including students and graduate students at - 4 Harvard University, attended the speech. \ that Hoffman tock a frivolous and humorous approach to tne trial which is taking place in Chicago, Tllinoisa, in which Hoffman and seven others have been charged with violation of Antiriot Statutes for their part in the disturbances which accompanied the 1968 Democratic National Convention in Chicago, Tllinois. Hoffman stated the defendants were using "fun" as their defense. He said that fun was a sneaky thing in the United States and it really scared people. He said that he and his fellow defendants were on trial under the pro- visions of the "Civil Rights Act" which make s it a crime to travel 2nt amatatba § 2 até in oe re oe te encot oe courage “egeae VSRBIUYA 265A BUSLU bLiT incites, Organizes, pronote, Civ | participants in and carry on a riot. Hoffran was accompanied by Leonard Weinglass and Jerry Lescourt, whom he described as defense attorneys for the Chicago Eight. Weinglass spoke briefly and stated that Federal Judge Julius Hoffman had committed so much reversible error during the trial to date that the defense attorneys were very pessimistic about getting a reversal. 7 collection to aid the defense fund waa taken up. a estimated that approximately $200. was collected.