March jeopardised

Press, 3 June 1981, Page 6

March jeopardised

Serious harassment and a lack of funds had jeopardised the a pro-Springbok • tour march planned -for Christchurch on Friday evening said Mrs . E. J. Suther land, bf - the pro-tour Society for the Protection of Individ ual Rights, last evening. Mrs Sutherland said tha. property had been damaged letter-boxes raided for pro tour literature, and abusivt telephone calls received. “At the moment the march is stil on, but this sort , oi behaviour has.-got -us)wondering what;we are-up against,"-. said Mrs Sutherland.. . She said that S.P.I.R: had, had trouble “getting’ the message across” about the march because it could not afford to advertise enough. "In spite of what people

say. we are not sponsored by any outside organisation. The only money we get is from subscriptions; donations, and the sale of buttons,” said Mrs Sutherland. She said that-,harassment of S.P.I.R. members by antitour campaigners had "gone beyond a joke.” A woman member who lived in Sumner had had a sign advertising the .march torn off a fence inside her property, damaging the . fence. The matter had. been •reported to the police.- / Mrs* ■ Sutherland’s: own ' daughter,' aged 18. had left the telephone off the hook ■because- bf repeated abusive calls while she was home alone. "We did not do anything at all to obstruct the H.A.R.T.

march. It is obvious that whoever is doing this does not' believe in freedom of speech,” said Mrs Sutherland. S.PJ.R.’s plans call for the pro-tour march to leave two starting points. , Latimer Square, and Cranmer Square, at 7 p.m. for Cathedral Square. . ; . ’ The march will, then wend its way through the inner city, via. Colombo- Street, High Street; along ; Cashel Street to the Bridge ,of Remembrance, along Oxford - Terrace,- and ? back, x along . Worcester Street to, the Square. . - ■ , . A police spokesman said that, as 'for the anti-toiir march, enough police would be on hand “to cope with any eventuality.” -■