Inspector Thrown Over Bank In Vietnam Brawl

Press, Volume CVII, Issue 31513, 30 October 1967, Page 1

Inspector Thrown Over Bank In Vietnam Brawl

(New Zealand Press Association)

AUCKLAND, October 29.

The violence came as an ugly sequel to a peaceful demonstration by about 2000 people in Queen Street about an hour before.

As the marchers in a demonstration organised by the Auckland Council on Vietnam were dispersing in Quay Street, a youth snatched the microphone from the council chairman, Mr L. W. S. Reid, and invited the crowd to a demonstration by the Progressive Youth Movement in Paritai Drive.

He said the Paritai Drive demonstration had nothing to do with the council. Within an hour fighting broke out outside the Consul’s home when police attempted to disperse a crowd of about 100 youths.

It began with minor scuffling—two policemen’s helmets were thrown over the clifftop —but quickly developed into a brawl as the demonstrators refused to move on.

Inspector G. Rees was attempting to arrest a youth in Paratai Drive when he was approached from behind. In the scuffle he was pushed over the fence on the opposite side of the road from the Consul’s home. He regained his feet quickly after slipping a few feet on the steep slope. Hit In The Face “I was getting over the fence again when I got a smack in the face and down I went again,” Inspector Rees said. "I was very lucky. I was only a few feet from the edge of that big drop when I stopped.”

He suffered a cut on his head and was dazed as he clambered back to the road. The demonstrators, mostly young people, had marched from the city along Tamaki Drive to Paritai Drive. They were carrying banners and waving flags. One young man had a loud-hailer.

About 300 yards from the Consul’s house, four policemen attempted to stop the crowd of about 100 from going any further. After some hesitation, the demonstrators marched on and gathered on the footpath and verge opposite the house.

The fighting started as police requested the demonstrators to move on.

One policeman and a demonstrator scuffled together, then fighting among other youths and police broke out. They traded punches and wrestled on the ground. Several young men struggled as police attempted to put them in police cars. One was handcuffed. Another leapt out of a patrol car and ran along Paritai Drive before being recaptured. Police reinforcements, including two dogs and their handlers, were arriving at intervals.

Gradually the skirmish began to calm down. As police warned demonstrators that they could be charged with assaulting the police, several young women called out: “It was selfdefence. The police started it.” One young girl hit a policeman over the back as he tried to put a demonstrator in a ear. Police Assisted About six men from the boat yard in Tamaki Drive, who had seen Inspector Rees tumble over the fence, drove to Paritai Drive and assisted the police. A justice of the peace, Mr R. Elsander, was brought in a police car to read the Riot Act to demonstrators, but by the time he arrived, most had dispersed.

Inspector Rees said Mr Elsander would have told the demonstrators of their rights, and also the duties of the police in such situations. Twelve Charged One of the 12 people the police arrested has been charged with the aggravated assault of the inspector. The others will appear in court tomorrow charged with resisting arrest, disorderly behaviour and assault.

A number of police and demonstrators suffered bruises but none required hospital treatment.

Mr R. Judd, a member of the Progressive Youth Movement, said tonight that he and his colleagues intended no violence.

“We went there purely to make our presence felt and merely to show the Consul that there was opposition to the war,” he said. “We in-

tended to chant a few songs and then disperse. “When we got to within about 100 yards of the house the police stopped us, Their ranks were so thin that we just pushed through. They did not give us a reason for wanting to stop us.

“Just Hoed In”

“We stood for a while on the cliff side of the road outside the Consul’s place. Up to then it was very orderly. Some of us sang some songs. Inspector Rees sent for more police and when they came they just hoed into us. “It was unprovoked. They just punched at the people they arrested for no reason at all.” Mr Judd said the movement was formed about two years ago. “It arose quite spontaneously,” he said. “It has nothing to do with the Council on Vietnam.” Consul Was Away While police and demonstrators were fighting outside his house, the American Consul (Mr J. M. Roland) was visiting friends. “The first I heard of it was

A police inspector who was thrown over a clifftop slid to within inches of a 100 ft drop to the waterfront road when anti-Vietnam demonstrators and police fought a pitched battle outside the American Consul’s house in Paritai Drive, Auckland, this afternoon.

when our neighbours called us to say we had some admirers outside the house,” he said later. Mr Roland drove back about 30 minutes after the fighting stopped. A youth handed him a pamphlet.

Mr Roland said he was no' approached officially by th' l demonstrators. Apart from some shoutei exchanges between about 20< counter-demonstrators and th' main body, the march and meeting in Myers Park befor it were incident-free. Polish Cameramen Filming the demonstrati' was a team from the Polis National Film Unit which ’ in New Zealand completing documentary. A member o the film unit said the doc mentary would deal with tl New Zealand way of life. Before the march began, & Reid appealed to marchers t< avoid being provoked inti violence.

Among the crowd in Myers Park were clergymen, businessmen, students, trade unionists and housewives with children in prams and pushchairs. There were many elderly people. Prominent among the coun-ter-demonstrators were about 20 cadets from H.M.N.Z.S. Philomel and H.M.N.Z.S. Inverell.