Support For March In Auckland Grows

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31768, 27 August 1968, Page 28

Support For March In Auckland Grows

(New Zealand Press Association)

AUCKLAND, August 26.

Support for Auckland civic leaders, church leaders and private citizens for the public protest march on Wednesday against the Russian occupation of Czechoslovakia continued to grow today.

The organisers hope that thousands will take part in the march up Queen Street, which will end with a short open-air meeting in front of the Town Hall. The Mayor of New Lynn (Mr J. R. McCorquindale), who suggested the march, said today that he would like to see the mass meeting pass resolutions imploring the Soviet Union urgently to reconsider its action and withdraw

from Czechoslovakia; informing the Czechoslovak people of New Zealand’s support for their stand and urging them to maintain faith in their cause, wisdom to avoid bloodshed, and courage to resist; and asking the Western nations for tolerance and renewed diplomatic efforts with Russia to achieve harmony in Europe. The Roman Catholic Bishop of Auckland (Archbishop J. M. Liston) will attend the meeting outside the Town Hall and the Moderator of the Auckland Presbytery (the Rev. E. C. Walsh) will take part in the march. The independent candidate for the Auckland Mayoralty (Mr D. M. Robinson) said he would march, but “without minimising the importance of a protest against Russian aggression, I think we should also make it a combined protest against the French nuclear tests so close to our country.” A member of the Auckland City Council, Mr G. F. H Forsyth, says he does not agree with the march. Concern over the Czechoslovakian situation was mass hysteria, he said. The trouble should blow over in a day or so. He said the French nuclear tests were a much more important issue.