S. AFRICA ON TOUR

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30172, 2 July 1963, Page 20

S. AFRICA ON TOUR

Protests At Sydney (NX Press Assn.—Copyright) SYDNEY, July 1. A milling, shouting crowd of University students waving anticolour * bar posters greeted the South African Rugby League team—the first to tour Australia—at Sydney Airport today.

As the South Africans entered their bus at the airport, the students surrounded them chanfting: “Apartheid, no—Football, yes.’’ The footballers took the demonstration cheerfully and waved to the students.

The players entered their bus through a narrow corridor made for them through the student demonstrators by a string of Commonwealth and State police. When the South Africans were all in the bus, the students pressed their placards up against the bus windows. Scores of students blocked the front of the bus before they were herded away by uniformed police officers. The students carried about a dozen anti-apartheid signs reading:—

"Australian students condemn apartheid.” “Did you leave the black players behind?”

"New Zealand team not segregated—Why Yours?” Commonwealth police stopped several of the student leaders from passing out protest leaflets among persons waiting inside the passenger terminal.

After students were warned by the police to stay outside the terminal building they handed out their protest leaflets to passengers as they left the overseas terminal. Headed “Protest against Apartheid,” the leaflets read: “Help show the South African Government that its racial policies are unacceptable here.”

“Meet the all WHITE Springbok footballers at Mascot Airport. “This is NOT a protest against footballers but against APARTHEID.

“Show that we welcome sporting teams from New Zealand which include outstanding Maori players.

“Show that we oppose sporting teams from South Africa which exclude native players just because they are not white.”

The South African Rugby League players arrived today to begin a tour of Australia and New Zealand.

Waitara will represent Taranaki in the sponsored New Zealand Rugby League championship. Waitara beat Waterside, 36-12, at Waitara on Saturday.—(P.A.).