Biggest police effort controls Auckland protest

Press, 7 September 1981, Page 1

Biggest police effort controls Auckland protest

PA Auckland The biggest police effort mounted in New Zealand controlled about 5000 antiSpringbok tour marchers in Auckland on Saturday, but there were still a number of clashes during an afternoon punctuated with violence. At the end of it all, the police declared their resources had not been stretched, although there were occasions when some front-line men would have welcomed an immediate back-up. the Press Association reported. : The police lines were breached only once or twice, but they quickly reformed ahd Eden Park, the venue of the Auckland-Springbok match, was not threatened.

The police numbers were not disclosed, but it is believed at least 1800 were on duty in and around the park. Not all of them, however, saw “active service.” It is believed a reserve of about 200 men, including the Auck-land-based Red Squad, were on hand, but not required.

The rally in Fowlds Park and a subsequent march by three separate groups, each containing a little more than

1600 protesters, was generally peaceful. However there were some violent scenes, and one of them, in Kowhai Street. 250 metres from the park, grew into one of the most bitter conflicts of the tour. Police squads in riot gear and a small band of committed demonstrators clashed three times within 20 minutes, and several policemen and protesters were injured. During the afternoon, nine policemen were injured but none seriously, and most by flying missiles.

It was difficult to assess how many protesters' suffered injuries, but the St John Ambulance Brigade took six away for treatment, although two of them needed help for a previous medical condition. Medical teams formed by the marchers — all dressed in white uniforms bearing large red crosses — treated a number of people, after scuffles with the police, for generally minor injuries. Only nine protesters were arrested, but the police made it clear that there were many breaches of the law that passed without police action because of the pressures of the day. Three separate groups of protesters were formed — Biko. Tutu, and Patu — and each had prominent anti-tour leaders at its helm. Marchers were told that young children would not be allowed to march with parents. A creche had been arranged “with neat things to do." said one protest leader, and children would be safe and well looked after. The chairman of M.0.5.T., the Rev. Andrew Beyer, told the big crowd before the march started: “You must make your choice about how far you are prepared to go to oppose this tour. "... We don’t want people to do anything that they do not want to do. You are not being shoved into anything." About 300 protesters peeled off from the rear of the group, broke into a trot, and headed further up New North Road. They surged into George Street and. at the top of the road, rushed across a reserve into Onslow Road and then Kowhai Street. In Kowhai Street were breakaway parties from the main Tutu group which had marched through streets to the south and east of Eden Park met up with members of the Patu group. There were several violent incidents: • Policemen drew ordinary batons and used them in a flurry lasting less than 10 seconds to repel demonstrators who tried to break through at the corner of Marlborough Street and Bellwood Avenue.

• A small group of policemen used batons after warning demonstrators against passing through private property in an attempt to get past police lines. Just before 3.30 p.m., a group of 40 made a determined attempt to breach the police line at the corner of Sandringham Road and Shaw Street. Three rows of police wedged tightly between twometre high jumbo bins beat their attackers back with their long batons. The confrontation lasted less than two minutes before the protesters withdrew under a hail of blows and prods from the batons.

For most of the match, a hard-core of protesters formed into the Biko squad taunted and tested the police line at Sandringham Road and Shaw Street. Several times, in an imitation of police tactics, heavily protected protesters, crouched behind sturdy wooden shields, shuffled forward to within inches of the police line. Rather than the "Move, move, move" chant of the police squads, they chanted “Biko. Biko. Biko." as they advanced. On two occasions before they made their determined thrust, the protesters clashed fleetingly with the police. Each time, the protesters' wooden shields and helmets withstood the pummelling they got from police batons. The most serious violence of the day erupted in Kowhai Street after the 300-strong Patu splinter group arrived to merge with several hundred other demonstrators and confront the big police team. At 3 p.m. about 80 demonstrators from both the Patu and Tutu groups, including the gang members, charged at the school gate held by about 15 uniformed men. The police used their batons to keep the protesters out and there was a wild battle for several seconds before the White Squad moved in. Long batons drawn, the squad charged in a single line into the melee and, within 10 seconds, had driven the group back along Kowhai Street away from the gate. Five minutes after the first assault, the smaller group of demonstrators hurtled 10 metres to the fence. In two or three seconds, a 20metre section of the fence was wrenched over — and in went the White Squad. After a brief and violent battle, the group was forced back. The police squad held the protesters at bay for another five minutes — ducking and dodging stones and other missiles — when the group charged the fence again, they were beaten back again.

The group of about 400 demonstrators was forced back on to Kowhai Street by the men in riot gear and carrying long batons. One young man who held on to a railing and would not move was punched several times in the face by a policeman. There were no troubles between the demonstrators and rugby fans leaving the ground. ’ The marchers quickly dispersed after reaching Fowlds Park. In Wellington, nine arrests and a police inquiry have resulted from Saturday’s anti-tour demonstrations in the city. Inquiries into an incident could give rise to a tenth arrest and an internal police inquiry into’ allegations that a police car drove into a group of demonstrators, injuring some, was nearing completion yesterday. Groups of demonstrators headed for the Wadestown home of the South African Consul-General, Mr Paul Lindhurst, the homes of senior Government politicians, the motorway, and the airport. Four people were arrested after they ran round police lines preventing them moving on to the motorway and the group which gathered at the airport was moved along by the police. A woman protester, was also arrested in Thorndon. Groups eventually converged on the Wadestown home of Mr Lindhurst, and were warned by Inspector Whiro Ratahi that any at-

tempt to encroach on the. property would not be tolerated. During the return march the incident giving rise to the police inquiry occurred, Protesters said that a police car, carrying Inspector Ratahi, a sergeant, and a constabledriver drove through their crowd, knocking some to the ground and injuring one woman. Violence erupted between protesters and police as the inspector and sergeant got out of the car to clear a path for it. Three demonstrators got into the car and are alleged to have assaulted the con-stable-driver . while others are alleged to have rocked the car to the stage where the police feared it could be turned over. The police moved more men into the area as a woman climbed on to the bonnet of the car and tried to rip the windscreen wipers off. The car apparently moved forward and she fell off the bonnet. A wall was knocked over during the scuffle. Protesters then marched to the Central Police Station where they were met by police ranks three-deep. A delegation of three which included the C.O.S.T. chairman, Mr Lindsay Wright, then went into the police station and met the Wellington division commander, Chief Inspector, C. R. Cotterrell.

Mr Cotterrell immediately set up a police, inquiry into the incident with the police car under Detective Inspector C. W. Lines and a “large team.” ‘