Inquiry vital to future of protest demonstrations

Press, Volume CXIV, Issue 33649, 26 September 1974, Page 9

Inquiry vital to future of protest demonstrations

(From

GLENN HASZARD,

in London.)

"The Spirit of the Lord Shall Rest Upon Him The Spirit of Wisdom and Understanding The Spirit of Counsel and Might The Spirit of Knowledge And the Fear of the Lord." Beneath the above inscription sits Lord Justice Scarman, chairman of the public inquiry into the Red Lion Square demonstration in London on June 15 — the Queen’s birthday. On that day there was a violent clash between Leftwing demonstrators and the police, resulting in the death of a 20-year-old student, injuries to 39 policemen and Six demonstrator.s, and 55 arrests. Having been an eye-wit-ness to the clash, I was interested to sit with Lord Justice Scarman and the rest of the tribunal at a showing qf films taken by the the right-wing National Front organisation, Independent Television News, an amateur photographer and a police training film. The films showed clearly how a group of Left-wing demonstrators made a sudden rush at a police cordon. It was in the ensuing melee that the student was killed and many others were in-1 jured. The demonstration has’ raised issues of vital import- i ance not only to British democratic institutions, but, also to those of New Zea-1 land. Reserve force Opening the inquiry, Mr Lewis Hawser, Q.C., said that a number of questions! arose. Among them was: whether there should be legislation for a civil reserve < force to assist the police,! whether the police had sufficient powers, and whether! legal responsibilities should ■ be imposed on the organ-! isers of demonstrations. Under the Public Order! Act of 1936 the British police can control the route.? of marches, place conditions! qn those taking part, and if necessary apply for an order! banning them. The act was brought ml after the clashes between; Communists and Oswald Mosley’s Fascist.? in the; 19305.’ The act also banned the wearing of political uni- 1 forms — aimed specifically ■> at curbing the Fascists.” More recently the act was 1 used against a group ofi] I.R.A. men who attended the I funeral of an LR A. hunger- i striker. ■ According to Dr Richard Clutterbuck, a leading Brit-,;

i ish authority on coni frontations, the biggest I single contribution to keeping protest peaceful is the existence of an unarmed police force. “There are very few countries outside Britain and New Zealand in which the situation would enable an unarmed police force to operate in control of riots. It is a situation which can only be founded on public attitudes, and on the attitudes of the men who are attracted to join the police force,” said Dr Clutterbuck. One of the few differences between the British and New Zealand forces in the context of demonstrations is that mounted police are used extensively in Britain, whereas New Zealand saw the last of its police horses i in 1958. Banners The British police believe that the use of special riot equipment and arms tends only to escalate violence. But I could not help but feel sorry for the cordon of helmeted policemen as they faced the demonstrators. They were, in effect, the | meat in the sandwich. Many (lost their helmets during the I struggle, and suffered injuries to their heads from the ! stakes and banners hurled at ! random and sometimes I ' thrust intentionally forward Iby the protestors. ’There is probably not a ■ i better man in Britain thanj ! Lord Justice Scarman to be! ‘chairman of the tribunal. It ! was he who conducted an: inquiry into the Ulster disturbances of 1969, who hasj been president of the Law! Reform Commission, and | who had these profound i words to say in 1971: “A legal principle must fight for its existence. If it J fails to win or retain the ! assent of the people, it will.! sooner or later be rejected. | “Rejection may manifest J itself in several ways. It may :| be final and total—the com-!] plete irreversible breakdown j of law and order, as in the I French, and Russian Revolu- I tions. It may be partial and I yet violent, though not I reaching the irreversibility of jl revolution, as for instance in !| a community deeply split by I class, religion, or race. I Northern Ireland today is an I illustration of such a society. I Easing “But long before the mo-'l ment of total rejection,!! stresses and strains will ap-il pear in the legal system, || which, if not eased, will I build up into dangerous ten- I sions.” said Lord Justice I Scarman. As the evidence of those I stresses and strains is placed I

beore him during the inquiry, Lord Justice Scarman faces the unenviable task of doing the easing.

His findings will be of significance to the future of democracy both in Britain and New Zealand.