November 7, 1966

By MORRIS KAPLAN

An angry crowd of 3,000 Cuban exiles laid siege to the Playboy Club here yesterday and brought traffic to a standstill on 59th Street east of Fifth Avenue.

Denouncing an article in Playboy magazine that they said was "an affront to Cuban women," they staged sit-downs and lie-downs and clambered over passing automobiles, defying police who had been called to the club, at 5^th East 59^th Street, shortly after 2 p.m.

Two hours later, with the police detail enlarged to more than 50 men, 500 of the demonstrators were organized into a picket line extending from the club to Madison Avenue. Earlier some pickets had tossed eggs, ink bottles and lipsticks, spattering several cars.

Traffic was blocked sporadically for periods of up to half an hour as the crowd of men and women milled around and threatened to get out of hand.

A patrolman's face was severely scratched when he sought to remove a screaming girl from atop a car. A youth was punched by a patrolman when he resisted removal from another car. However, there were no arrests.

Assistant Chief Inspector Arthur L. Morgan eased the clamor, using a bullhorn to urge the demonstrators to organize a picket line. He conferred with leaders of the demonstration, which had apparently been organized by the Cuban Workers Democratic Revolutionary Front.

This group distributed leaflets printed in Spanish, protesting the article in the October issue of Playboy as totally false. The article, which concerned Cuba before Fidel Castro became Prime Minister, was termed offensive and slanderous to both Cuban women and men.

Demonstrators carried signs criticizing .the magazine and the writer of the article, Pietro DiDonato, who was denounced as the author of "a vicious, dirty and libelous attack." Some signs assailed the article as "Communist propaganda," while others demanded respect for all Latin Americans.

Chanting rhythmically "Down Playboy," the demonstrators thwarted efforts of some Playboy waitresses, who are called Bunnies, to enter the club. They treated a red-haired Bunny roughly and scared off at least three others.

Business at an adjoining restaurant, L'Etoile, suffered. The manager, Edward E. Zwaaf, reported that patrons who had made reservations had not kept them.

A man who identified himself as Jose Acosta, an employee of El Tiempo, said he was one of three organizers of the demonstration. He named the other two as Miguel Angel Martin, also of El Tiempo, and Mirta Silva, a television artist. El Tiempo is a Spanish-language daily newspaper published here.

A spokesman for the Playboy Club said he hoped to open the club for shows scheduled to start at 7:15 and 8:20 P.M., "as soon as we can get police assurance." But Inspector Morgan expressed doubt that the shows would go on. The club is usually open until 4 A.M.

"We hope to demonstrate at least until midnight," said a leader of the pickets.

The Playboy enterprises, which include magazines, key clubs, book publishing and real estate, are controlled by Hugh M. Hefner, a 39-year-old Chicagoan.