QUEEN'S VISIT Rough campus protest

Press, Volume CXII, Issue 33047, 14 October 1972, Page 15

QUEEN'S VISIT Rough campus protest

(N.Z. Press Association—Copyright) STIRLING (Scotland), October 13. University authorities today began an inquiry into a student demonstration that gave Queen Elizabeth the roughest reception in Britain of her 20-year reign.

Four hundred students chanted obscene songs, hurled insults at the Monarch, and jostled and jeered her official party during a ceremony at Stirling University yesterday. Police later labelled them las “drunken scum.” The trouble started when the Queen began a tour of the campus after unveiling a plaque at the university, one of Scotland’s newest. She walked right into a mass of students who had earlier tried to stage a sitdown protest against, they said, costly preparations for the Royal visit Many of the crowd waved wine and whisky bottles. Others cried “Queen out” and “Go home, you Hun” — presumably a reference to the Monarch’s far-off German ancestry. Others sang an obscene song. Feet away The chants and yells were hurled from only a few feet away from the Queen, who looked shaken momentarily at the ruckus and the sight of a forest of clenched-fist gestures. Aides clutched her arm and a cordon of detectives and police formed around her. A lady-in-waiting thrust one demonstrator out of the way with a firm push.

Some journalists who joined the protective chain of police and officials between the Monarch and the crowd complained they were spat on. Police said that they were kicked.

In the thick of the fray, however, the Queen maintained her composure after initial hesitation and smiled frequently. Against cost At one stage six students broke through police lines, ran up to her and declared the demonstration was not against her but over money spent on the visit One declared: “I have missed a lecture today because of you.” The Queen asked with a smile: “Apart from this, how are you enjoying yourselves here?”

A youth invited her to a student club. “That might be a good idea,” said the Queen. “I might do that sometime.” When she left—physically untouched throughout the melee—students clambered over flowerbeds and cars, waving their fists and singing more ribald songs. Buckingham Palace in London was anxious to play down the incident which one

.seasoned British journalist described as the worst witnessed in 12 years of covering Royal tours. A spokesman said: "The Queen was not unduly concerned for her safety. She has faced this sort of confrontation before abroad — though never in this country.” The 20-member council of the Stirling Student Association claimed full responsibility for the fracas. The president, Miss Linda Quinn, a 21 year-old sociology student, said: “We think the demonstration went off well. We have no regrets. “We were mainly protesting at the cost of the Queen's visit. But for many, like myself, it was a political demonstration against the Monarchy. Things got out of hand when police kicked a girl to the ground.”

University authorities said the preparations for the visit cost 8NZ3057.

A spokesman said the majority of the university’s 2400 students behaved well and “we’ll be delving into this to think what is the right thing to do about this unpleasant incident." There were no arrests.