King’s Widow Arrested in Apartheid Protest
WASHINGTON — Coretta Scott King, widow of the civil rights leader, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., was arrested in front of the South African Embassy on Wednesday along with her son and youngest daughter, police said.
Mrs. King, 58, Martin Luther King III, 27, and Bernice King, 22, were all charged with the misdemeanor offense of demonstrating within 500 feet of an embassy, according to District of Columbia police. All remained in jail after refusing to be released on their own recognizance.
The protest was the latest in a series of demonstrations against South Africa’s apartheid policy of mandatory racial separation. Since last Nov. 21, more than 2,600 persons have been arrested during the protests outside the embassy.
In the past, most of the those arrested have been released on personal recognizance, but the Kings decided to stay in jail at least overnight, according to TransAfrica, the group spearheading the nationwide anti-apartheid campaign.
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