Protest against Haig visit

Press, 23 June 1981, Page 1

Protest against Haig visit

Protesters demonstrated 1 for about an hour outside the United States consular agent s office in Christchurch yesterday against the visit to New Zealand of the United States Secretary of State, Mr Alexander Haig. Mr Haig is. in Wellington for a meeting of the A.N.Z.U.S. council. The 25 demonstrators in ' Christchurch carried placards reading. “Haig murderer of Cambodia”, "Haig — your hands are blood red’’, “Warmonger Haig go home", and "Solidarity with El Salvador”. The demonstrators stood outside the consular office in the Allan McLean Building, at the corner of Colombo Street and Oxford Terrace, between noon and 1 p.m. . Their representatives gave a petition outlining their opposition to Mr Haig's visit to the consular agent, Mr J. M. Oil, who said that he would, send it to the United States Embassy in Wellington. Ms Kath Scott, speaking for the demonstrators said that Mr Haig's record in the Nixon era and his present policy showed him up as being "power-crazy.” and an enemy to humanity. "While ' slashing welfare and health budgets, this Ad-

'ministration has increased the ,United States defence budget in excess of $20,000 million,” she said. "We believe Haigs travels 'abroad are aimed not only at winning allies but at gaining from allies the licence to do whatever the Reagan-Haig Administration wants to do. \ "The only people for whom Haig is good news are the makers and sellers of arms.” American support for the . rulers of El Salvador was especially criticised. In Victoria Square, opposite the consular agent's office, a model cemetery was erected "in .memory of the 10,000 killed by the United State'sbacked military in El Salvador in 1960.” The petition said that the United States Government had sent 200 military advisers to El Salvador and had spent $l4O million in aid there. In Wellington, about 60 protesters gathered in the grounds of Parliament Buildings, reports the Press Association. One red banner held by the protesters said, "Workers' Communist League”, another said, "Nuclear-free Pacific”, and a third said, "Hands off El Salvador”.