Thousands in Auckland march

Press, 30 August 1980, Page 6

Thousands in Auckland march

PA Auckland The workers of the outei industrial areas of Auckland laid claim to Queen Street vesterdav where they gath- ■ ered in ' their thousands to ! protest against falling living [standards. I For an hour. Queen. Street up to the Town Hall was inundated by waves of marchers carrying scores of banners. Combined with a big influx of schoolchildren, the marchers gave the city’s centre a fever usually reserved for a Royal visit or a Santa parade. An independent person assigned to the job tallied 5500 at the Victoria Street intersection and, when they joined others waiting in

! Aotea Square,- the numbers had swollen to perhaps ■ 12.000. Whatever the count — a television news count was 8000 — the event proved the trade unions’ ability to or« ganise an efficient protest rally. Forty white-coated marshals carried donation tins and stewards with walkietalkie radios kept one end .of the procession in touch with the other. Banners were provided at the start and, at the end, a truck was provided to take them away. The messages of the day were clear: “New Zealand people sold out to overseas masters,” “Can’t eat silicon chips.” and “Restructure Muldoon.”