S.P.I.R. will not march in Chch

Press, 29 April 1981, Page 1

S.P.I.R. will not march in Chch

The pro-Springbok tour group, the Society for the Protection of Individual Rights, will not confront anti-tour groups during marches and publicity activities on Friday evening, according to S.P.I.R.’s spokeswoman, Mrs Elizabeth Sutherland. The society was wary of the dangers of confrontations between pro and anti-tour marchers and had decided to leave the main centres alone on May 1, she said. A pro-tour march has been organised for Friday

evening by the group’s branch in Timaru. “We deliberately selected Timaru because we want to show the depth of pro-tour feeling there even though it is a Labour s< and there shouldn’t really be any support,” she said. Mrs Sutherland said that the society was right* behind the statement by the race relations conciliator, Mr Hiwi Tauroa, on authorities which banned facilities to the Springboks. “We have taken on a legal adviser and will be

keeping a close watch on things. Don’t! think you have heard the last of this.” The society’s chairman, Mr P. D. Mortlock, said that although the Coalition Against the Tci expected 10,000 to march in Christchurch on Friday evening, at least 40,000 would try to get imo Lancaster Park and a television : .dience would be about one million. “If they could get 40,233 to march, I would be prepared to pull out and try to stop the tour,” he said.