‘Full-scale assault' on Springbok tour

Press, 1 May 1981, Page 1

‘Full-scale assault ' on Springbok tour

PA Wellington The first fuh sale assault on the Springbok tour will be . launched across New Zealand .this evening. In 29 centres from Kaikohe to Invercargill, street marchers and demonstrators will register their protest against the tour..

The organisers of the May 1 mobilisation/said in Wellington last evening that the skirmishes were over.' J

“Now it is a full-scale offensive.”

The HART chain-tan, Ms Pauline McKay, sees the marches as the start r' the renewed anti-tour activity..

Ms McKay said last e. ing that increased donations throughout New Zealand indicated “tremendous support” for “Mobilisation Day.”

A week-end auction and dance at Auckland had raised almost • $7OOO, and there had been many donations in other areas.

The increased support was indicative of' how the whole anti-tour campaign had been going, she said. Bodies who had never taken a stance -before were now doing so, and HART had come to play a co-or-dinating role more than anything else,-she said.

Many protesters, in Invercargill have signed pledges stating they will act peacefully.

Protests will be hel-’ in Kai koh e , Wharigarei, Auckland, Tauranga, Rotorua, Kawerau, Hamilton, Gisborne, Napier, Hastings, Taumarunui, Te Awamutu, New Plymouth, Wanganui, Palmerston North, Masterton, Taraparaumu, Wellington, Nelson, Blenheim, Westport, Christchurch., : Timaru, Oamaru, Dunedin, Invercargill,. Tokoro?, Cambridge, and Morrinsville. A march planned by the Society for the Protection of Individual Rights (5.P.1.R.) in Timaru this evening has been postponed at the request of the police. ' The march was going to be held at the same time as Timaru’s anti-tour rally, and the police feared a confrontation between the two group—

Mrs Elizabeth Sutherland, spokesman for 5.P.1.R., said yesterday that the rally in Timaru would now be held a week later, on May 8. “The police requested us to hold our march at another time, even though we had received all the necessary permits from the City Council. We are not interested in a confrontation with anti-tour

groups,” Mrs Sutherland said.

The Christchurch Transport Board will not run extra buses this evening to return marchers to their assembly, points after the anti-Springbok rally in Cathedral Square. The' board was approached , by Coalition Against the Tour to supply buses to return protesters to the four main assembly points at the completion of the rally.

“In line with a resolution passed by the board, we could not offer buses for anything associated with the tour,” Mr D. Grundy said. The marchers will rally at four venues — Lancaster Park, Sydenham Park, Riccarton Mall, and Merivale Mall — at 7 p.m. Each venue will be supervised by a march co-or-dinator from the Coalition Against the Tour, and 10 marshals to make sure the marchers all arrive at Cathedral Square about 8 p.m.

Mr E. E. Dunlop, senior city traffic officer, said that the Ministry of Transport would not employ any extra men to look after the march. The Christchurch police said that enough staff would be on hand to take care of any situation that might arise during the march.