Riot squads braced for Bonn protest

Press, 22 October 1983, Page 10

Riot squads braced for Bonn protest

NZPA-Reuter Bonn Thousands of police and special riot squads were on alert in the West German capital of Bonn yesterday as anti-nuclear protesters gathered for a sit-down blockade of key Government offices. Organisers said that the one-day action at the Defence Ministry, Dr Helmut Kohl’s office and the Economic Co-operation Ministry would be strictly peaceful. Protesters would not resist the authorities’ efforts to keep entrances clear. But the police fear militant plans to make Bonn the focus of a more radical and potentially violent campaign - against N.A.T.O. nuclear arms policy. They suspect militants seek to infiltrate the thousands of protesters taking part in the actions.

Large halls in and around the capital have been set aside for possible mass ar-

rests and judges were ready to grant detention orders if needed.

The Bonn police chief has refused to say how many police he will station in Bonn when the blockades begin. But special anti-riot squads of the Federal Border Guard were ready in case it proved difficult to keep access clear, especially to the Defence Ministry. Radio reports said that the Defence Minister, Mr Manfred Woemer, and other senior officials planned to arrive for duty early to beat the blockade. Mr Woemer is pledged to siting new, medium-range missiles in West Germany if there is no Soviet-United States arms agreement at Geneva. Any violent incidents could sour an expected 300,000-strong demonstration in Bonn today, which marks the climax of

10 days of peaceful protest against N.A.T.O. plans to put new American nuclear missiles in Europe this (northern) winter if EastWest arms control talks in Geneva fail. Demonstrations are also scheduled today in other European countries where the missiles are to be set

up. Masked protesters have lingered in the background of several peaceful actions in this week’s anti-nuclear protests. But there has been only one notable clash with the police, during the blockade of a United States Army base at Bremerhaven.

The police in riot gear used water canon to disperse protesters at Bremerhaven and detained 200 people. Several hundred other protesters have been held briefly after more subdued blockades of other camps.