Violent reception for Mr Muldoon

Press, 20 November 1981, Page 1

Violent reception for Mr Muldoon

Paint-filled eggs, a redsmoke bomb, and a chanting crowd of about 250 greeted the Prime Minister (Mr Muldoon) when he arrived at the Christchurch Town Hall for an election meeting last evening. The crowd, which chanted, “We want jobs,” included members of the Temporary Workers’ Union, Campaign Power Poll, the Communist Party, and several other groups and feminists. Several eggs from the dozens thrown landed close to Mr Muldoon. One of them landed centimetres away from his feet as he left his car, which had been driven right up to the Town Hall foyer. Violence flared when the police moved in to arrest protesters who had thrown the eggs and the smoke bomb. A portable no-parking sign was thrown at Mr Muldoon’s car as he left the Town Hall. The sign hit the car and its thrower was arrested by several of the 30 policemen who ran down Kilmore Street in file on each side of the car. When Mr Muldoon arrived at the Town Hall, policemen

had to run along a length of protective fence which had been placed along one side of Kilmore Street to hold back the protesters. As the policemen moved round the end of the fence, some protesters tried to link arms and form a barrier. The policemen broke through this and pushed into the crowd, which had bunched together. Both policemen and protesters threw punches. Some policemen had their helmets knocked off and were hit with eggs. An arrested demonstrator was hurriedly bundled over the top of the fence to the protestations of the crowd. The brawl lasted about two minutes before the policemen withdrew to the chanting of, “Move, move” from the crowd. The demonstration had started peacefully about 7 p.m. in Cathedral Square. Marchers walked along Colombo Street to Kilmore Street, where they stood holding placards in light rain. While waiting for Mr Muldoon’s arrival, scheduled for about 8 p.m., the protesters

listened to speeches and protest songs. The fighting between demonstrators and policemen started when two casually dressed plain-clothes policemen jumped over the wire barrier to arrest the person who had thrown the smoke bomb. Chief Superintendent J. A. Jamieson, who was in charge of the police at the scene said that the plain-clothes policemen had been hindered in making their arrest and had needed reinforcements. Eleven people had been arrested and seven of them had been charged with disorderly behaviour. Riot gear and extra manpower had been available if the situation had escalated, he said. The protesters left Kilmore Street about 8.30 p.m. intending to march to the Central Police Station. However. they split up and most of them arrived back at the Town Hall in time to throw more eggs and chant at Mr Muldoon. Paint was splattered on the rear of Mr Muldoon’s official car and the front of the escorting police car.