March draws 8000 — 10,000

Press, 2 May 1981, Page 1

March draws 8000 — 10,000

Youth showed the way as an estimated 8000 to 10,000 Christchurch citizens marched against the proposed Springbok tour last evening. Dire predictions that the much-publicised protest would become a bloodbath proved unfounded as the protesters Converged on Cathedral * Square from four parts of the city. The march—-the biggest in Christchurch since the anti-Vietnam war demonstrations of the early 1970 s —was run like a military operation. Organisers based on a truck in the middle of the Square were in constant radio contact with the four columns of marchers. There were a few incidents, but the police, who had recalled officers from

off-duty, had made no arrests by late last evening. “It went far better than we had expected,” said Inspector J. Dumble, the man in charge of the highly-., planned police operation. Organisers of the Coalb tion Against the Tour' (C.A.T.) had hoped that 10,000 people would take to the streets. Many people joined the marchers as thej' neared Cathedral Square, but the police, the Ministry of Transport, and other observers estimated the total crowd at no more than between 8000 and 10,000. In spite of exhortations by Church groups and trade unions, the majority of the protesters who arrived in the Square about 8.30 p.m. were aged in their mid-twenties or younger.

Probably the most eventful march was had by the column advancing from Riccarton,. which included many students from the University of Canterbury and Lincoln College. Outside the D.B. Riccarton Hotel, the marchers were met with jeering and abuse from about 40 protour spectators. Riccarton Road was blocked for about five minutes when members of the pro-tour group moved across from the hotel. Placards were grabbed and shoves exchanged as the march moved past the group. One pro-tour man held up the progress of the 2000-strong column when he refused to move out of the path of the truck leading the marchers. The Riccarton marchers stopped chanting and singing as they passed Christchurch Hospital, en route to the Square. The other three marches had originated at Lancaster Park, Sydenham Park, and

the Merivale Mall. About 1500 people — some of them obviously spectators only — awaited the arrival of the marches in the Square. Once mustered, the protesters marched down Worcester Street to Oxford Terrace, along Cashel Street, and back to the Square via High Street and Colombo Street. The driver of a white car got impatient while waiting for the marchers to pass along Oxford Terrace, anu drove through the throng. The bonnet of the car was thumped and the doors kicked by protesters. There were no injuries. One of the more colourful groups in the march from Sydenham Park was “Punks Against the Tour.” The 1200 marchers who set out from Lancaster Park had a strong trade union representation, including the Caretakers’ and Cleaners’ Union, the Labourers’ Union, the Stationary Engine Drivers’ Union,

the Laundry Workers’ Union, the Brewery Workers’ Union, the Te Whanau Trust, the Ice Cream Workers’ Union, the Lyttelton branch of the Seamen’s Union, and meat workers’ and carpenters’ unions. In Cathedral Square the marchers were addressed by Canon John Osmers, who had his hand blown off while working in Africa, and Mr Richard Harrison, the Canterbury-Westland co-ordinator of HART. According to the Miniistry of Transport, the behaviour of the- marchers was better than that of many motorists. “Many drivers took the traffic hold-ups in good spirit, but there was a percentage which did not,” said Senior Traffic Officer R. S. Lenz. “Our chaps had a lot more trouble and abuse from motorists than protesters,” he said. Last evening’s antiSpringbok tour marches around the country were

hailed “an outstanding success”- by HART. In a statement to. the Press Association, HART said with half the reports in from the 29 centres in which anti-tour activity occurred it was clear that in excess of 75,000 New Zealanders publicly demonstrated their opposition to the tour. HART’s national chairperson, Ms Pauline McKay, said that the only credible Government response was to step in immediately and advise the New Zealand Rugby Football Union to stop the proposed tour. In Auckland marchers were estimated between 10,000 and 15,000, in Wellington about 10,000 and in Dunedin, despite drizzle, about 2000. There were also substantial numbers in other centres. A Wellington report said the march was the biggest since the anti-Viet-nam war turnouts of the sixties.