STATES DEPARTMENT OF ) STICE Los UNITE. - FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION In Reply, Please. Refer t File No, Tampa, Florida, 33609 November 8, 1963 VISIT OF PRESIDENT , JOHN F, KENNEDY TO TAMPA, FLORIDA ; ' j i t ! i Tf. i ' if - it NOVEMBER, 1963 - “On November 5, 1963 TP T-1, a Cuban exile i who has furnished reliable information in the past, ‘ and who is. ‘familiar with activities of anti-CASTRO organizations in’ the Tampa, Florida area, advised that representatives of anti-CASTRO organizations who meet weekly on Thursday evenings, have continued to discuss h some sort of activity planned for President KENNEDY's i visit to Tampa. Some of the individuals favor making up placards stating what KENNEDY has said at various _ i Cuban functions, and using them in the form of a picket. Other persons do not. favor the picket type demonstration. Plans are not definite yet as to what the anti-CASTRO groups will do upon the President ' 8s iy arrival. ; ‘1 c On October 21, 1963, TP 1-2, who has furnished ' reliable information in the past, advised that there . was a meeting of State Officers and E.C.s of. .the United : \ Florida Ku’Klux Klan. held at Orlando, Florida, on Sunday | October 13, 1963. — There were about 125 to 135 persons . a in attendance when the meeting got underway, ‘and during © ‘the meeting CURTIS BENEFIELD talked of a plan to make .- i some signs and picket the Armory at Tampa on November 17 or 18, 1963, when President KENNEDY appears for a din- , ; ner. and to make a speech there. ‘The’ plan is ‘being = devised to show KENNEDY that he is not as well thought of in Florida as he thinks he is. BENEFIELD talked of getting about 500 Cubans to march in one group, with Klansmen, State's Righters, White ‘Citizens' Coun- cil members, and others, to march in another, with .the hope of: having. about one thousand marchers all . , togéther.: It was suggested that those. who participate leave their Klan membership cards at home, so that to if they happen to be arrested, the cards will not be > | found on. them. : ocean arene een n= ee ee ec a enema en tet een oe nab nce ae le ene seen rae ere Sk eR ot meen r WW 55538 Docld: 32263799 Page i
VISIT OF PRESIDENT JOHN F. KENNEDY TO TAMPA, FLORIDA, November, 1963 Florida, on October 14, 1963 at 8:00 P.M. According to TP T-4, O. V. BOATWRIGHT, Klan Klaliff, stated that the Klan is supposed to go to Tampa when the President speaks in Tampa in November, 1963, and peacefully picket outside the building where the President speaks. They are to carry signs protes~- ting KENNEDY's stand on integration. All Klan men- ‘bers are instructed not to carry Klan identification -cards. . On October 22, 1963, TP T-5, who has furnished reliable information in the past, advised that there was a regular Klan meeting of the ‘Fellow-" ship Club, United Florida Ku Klux Klan on October 19, 1963, at 8:15 P.M. at their Klavern near Plant City, Florida. According to TP T-5, JASON KERSEY, Grand Dragon, made a report ‘on’ the State Officers’ meeting held in Orlando, Florida, on October 13, 1963, and — told of the plans made to have a lot of people picket the President when he gets’ to Tampa for a speech. — here were ten men’present, who said they would help on the 18th of November, 1963, . This document contains neither recommenda—" ‘tions nor conclusions of the FBI. “It is the property of the FBI and is loaned to your agency; it and its -.eontents are not to be distributed outside your agency. a - oF | NW 55538 DBoold:323283795 Page 3
SDPENDEX . UNXTED FLORIDA KU KLUX KLAN JACKSONVILLE (UFKKK) A source advised on August 20, 1955, that a new organization known as Florida Ku Klux Klan (FEKK) | had ‘pean formed at Macclenny, Florida, on August 14, 1955, my garmer members of the Association of Florida ku fuye Klean (CAFKKK). fhe objectives of this group, according to a& secoad source, are to oppose integration in the schools - and to fight communism. Regarding AFKKK, a third source advised that ° Jarner official of the Association of Georgia Klans (aGX) formed an organization on July 7, 1953, known as APE. Tne "Morning Tribune", Tampa, Florida, newspaper, in its August 11, 1955, issue revealed AFKKK disbanded om that date. | A fourth source advised on October 25, 1956, that AFKKE operated under the same principles and bylaws as the AGK. The AGK has been designated by the. Attorney General pursuant to Executive Order 10450. A £ifth source advised on February 17, 1958, that the FKKK was operating and maintaining the same objectives as set forth above. The sixth source advised on June 28, 1961, that at a meeting held.in Orlando, Florida, on June "25, 2261, the FKKK and the’ ‘United Klans, Knights of the Ku Klux "wlan, Inc., in Florida, consolidated, and the new ge ganization is known as the UFKKK. On May 17, 1962, the sixth source advised that tae URE is still in existence in Florida and maintains the same objectives set forth above. | NW 55536 Doold: 32263795 Page 4