Police guard U.S. interests

Press, 28 November 1979, Page 6

Police guard U.S. interests

The Christchurch police are believed to be watching American interests in the city as the Iranian crisis continues.

“We are taking measures which are appropriate to the situation,” said the commander of the Christchurch police district (Deputy Assistant Commissioner G. E. Twentyman) last evening.

He declined to comment further because of security reasons.

The biggest American installations in the area are the Antarctic support base at Harewood ' and the BakerNunn satellite-tracking station on Mount John at Tekapo, South Canterbury, which is outside the Christchurch police district. In Auckland, the police are guarding the American .consular office and some American business premises. The president of the Islamic Association of New

Zealand, (Mr A. R. Rasheed) said the police action was uncalled for. He confirmed there was much sympathy among the 4000 New Zealand Muslims (about, half live in Auckland) for the Iranian revolution and for the Iranian call for the former Shah to be returned to them for trial, although the Muslim community contained few Iranians. He had heard suggestions that a peaceful demonstration should be organised in Auckland on behalf of Muslim solidarity but no violence or attack of any sort against Americans had been contemplated. “I personally would not condone any action which went against the laws of New Zealand, and generally speaking I feel most of our members are law-abiding,” Mr Rasheed said. “I am sure any action would be confined to a peaceful demonstration.”