Chch bomb blast

Press, 27 July 1981, Page 6

Chch bomb blast

from front m

The Coalition Against the Tour and the Christchurch branch of HART both said they had nothing to do with the bomb. An hour after the explosion at the airport, about 250 anti-tour protesters arrived at Spitfire Corner, on Memorial Avenue, for the second part of the afternoon’s demonstrations.

About 500 protesters had earlier marched from Victoria Square to Latimer Square and back again before setting off in a convoy of cars to the airport. Police cars blocked off the left-hand carriageway as the marchers, arms linked tightly and in close formation, walked slowly up Memorial Avenue and turned left into a dead-end street. A minor riot of joy and defiance broke out halfway down the road when someone with a radio reported that the Springbok match at Hamilton had been cancelled because of protesters on the pitch. The reason for the diversion down the cul-de-sac became apparent when the march halted outside the United States Navy and Antarctic division buldings.

The deserted buildings bore the cries of "Shame" aimed at their supposed occupants for allowing the Springboks to pass through American airports and play three matches with American teams after leaving NewZealand.

Further on, the marchers closed up into a tight mass and pushed hard against a high wire security fence. The 12 uniformed policemen standing between fence and protesters were squashed as the fence bulged dramatically, but held. The police wheeled the mass of protesters away from the fence and after a few clothes were straightened. they were off to the airport terminals. No arrests were made. The marchers made several passes by both the domestic and international terminals and passengers off two incoming international flights were treated to various chants and speeches.' Speakers told the several hundred spectators atop the terminal and in the car-park that Air New Zealand was “guilty” of failing to represent the majority of New Zealanders who wanted the tour stopped by flying the Springboks to this country, and from match to match. One passenger arriving to

catch his plane was not impressed: "You pack of stupid idiots. Why don't you go home?" he yelled. He went to catch his ' plane home to Australia to cries of “Shame" and “Racist."

The big contingent of police lined the front of both terminals and only allowed passengers in and out. Protesters made no attempt to enter the building. The automatic doors had been locked. The marchers started back to Spitfire Corner at 4.25 p.m. and dispersed without incident. The day for the anti-tour protesters began at 1 p.m.. on Saturday w-hen about 500 marchers gathered in Victoria Square. As with previous marches there was a fair cross-section of people, a large number of schoolchildren and students, but many young families and middleaged and elderly couples. After 10 minutes of songs the march moved off along Gloucester Street to the Television New Zealand building. The Coalition Against the Tour, which organised the first march, sent an open letter to the Broadcasting Corporation, which was read to the marchers. The letter congratulated Christchurch broadcast crews for refusing to work

on coverage of any matches broadcast to South Africa, and asked those TVNZ staff opposed to broadcasting matches, to add their names to the letter.

But the letters expressed the coalition's disappointment about the corporation's decision to transmit Springbok matches to South Africa — what the coalition called "exploiting the blacks of South Africa for profit." The letter was accepted reluctantly by a TVNZ doorman and the marchers continued to Latimer Square where, gathered in a big circle, they were told that there were still 1000 antitour protesters on the Hamilton pitch. (There were fewer than 400, in fact.) About a dozen young children laid a small circle of pink-and-white flowers to symbolise the 18 black south African children who would die of malnutrition that afternoon.

The marchers then went along Worcester Street for a brief session of chants and speeches outside the Air New Zealand building in Cathedral Square. Accompanied by the everpresent police, the march returned to Victoria Park and cars were organised for the trip to the airport.