Anti-tour petition to City Council

Press, 4 August 1981, Page 5

Anti-tour petition to City Council

More than 100 Christchurch residents have signed a petition asking the Christchurch City Council to take "whatever steps are open to it" to stop the Springbok match taking place al Lancaster Park on August 15. "The council has the duty to promote the welfare of the city and the well-being of it.; citizens. It has the power to take action on behalf of the citizens of Christchurch and we urge it to do so while the time remains." said a letter attached to the petition.

It said that the council had resolved on July 20 that further steps be taken with a view to applying for an injunction to stop the match if events proved it necessarv. Since then there had been widespread disorder at Hamilton when the match between Waikato and the Springboks was cancelled and the bomb blast at Christchurch Airport on July 25. "We urge the council not to wait until Christchurch is precipitated into such a level of uncontrollable violence."

said the petition, which had 113 signatures. The .Town Clerk of Christchurch. Mr J. H. Gray, reacted angrily when he heard a copy of "the petition had been sent to "The Press." He said it was rude to send the petition to the news media without mentioning the fact in the letter sent to the council. He said he had sent a reply to the petitioners, but would make no further comment except to sa.v that the petition would be put before the appropriate committee "in due course."