Marae court wanted

Press, 24 June 1978, Page 1

Marae court wanted

PA Auckland The Bastion Point protesters want the Auckland Magistrate’s Court to go to the Orakei Marae for the hearing of the next batch of charges against them. A leader the protesters, Mr J. P. Hawke, said yesterday that Maori protocol would then take over and the proceedings could be conducted with honour and dignity. If the hearings were not held on the marae, he said, twice as many supporters

would be at the court next week as there were this week. When the first group of protesters appeared in court on Thursday, a big band of supporters disrupted proceedings by chanting and performing hakas. Mr Hawke blamed overcrowding for any trouble that might have been caused. The hearing, he said, had been in one of the smallest courtrooms, and the Magistrate had not made sufficient allowance for family and friends who wished to attend.

Warrants that, had been issued fo? the arrest of two persons, alleged to have trespassed at Bastion Point, were withdrawn when they made voluntary appearances in the Magistrate’s Court yesterday. Elizabeth Nari Anderson, aged 33, a public servant, and Michael Peter Cassidy, aged 20, an unemployed labourer, told Mr J. R. Callander, S.M., that they went to Court on Thursday but were unable to get into the room. Both denied a charge of wilful trespass. Their cases were adjourned to August 9.