Police "crying wolf’ over weapons, says HART

Press, 25 August 1981, Page 3

Police "crying wolf’ over weapons, says HART

PA Auckland The HART national organiser. Mr John Minto, yesterday accused the police of waging a persistent' campaign to discredit the antiapaftheid movement in the eyes of the public. He responded angrily to the police "assumption” that weapons found in Boston Road. Nelson, on Saturdayhad been carried by anti-tour protesters. "It is another case of the police ‘crying wolf.” Mr Minto said.

He said that the supporters of protest movements did not carry weapons, “even for defence against batons or pro-tour people.”

“Our marshals and our demonstrations are well organised and disciplined,” he said. “Marshals keep a close watch for violent outsiders as well as for plainclothes police."

Mr Minto said that the police had made another uasubstantiated assertion, that protesters carried pick-axe handles during a violent confrontation in Khyber Pass Road. Auckland, three weeks ago.

The welded nail spikes and smoke bombs said to have been used by protesters in Nelson had obviously been designed to stop the bus carrying the Springboks, not to injure people, and could

not be described as "offensive weapons.” Mr Minto said that 99 per cent of people who had required hospital treatment after protests had been protesters.

"This shows that we are the victims of violence rather than the perpetrators of it." he said.

In Wellington, the Citizens Opposed to the Springbok Tour (C.0.5.T.) organisation last evening condemned the use of weapons at demonstrations.

The C.O.S.T. chairman. Mr Lindsay Wright, said that violent protest against the police or rugby supporters was “morally unacceptable to us."

He said that in protest marches to be carried out at the week-end C.O.S.T. marshals and supporters would actively discourage the carrying of weapons. “People found carrying them can expect no help from us.” he said.

The organisation intended to enforce a policy of nonviolence.

“People who resort to the use of weapons do nothing but damage to our cause," he said. “We have shown that peaceful protest action can be extremely effective. Our strongest impact lies in our thousands of supporters."