Hikoi walkers head for Whangarei

Press, 3 February 1984, Page 4

Hikoi walkers head for Whangarei

PA Whangarei The hikoi (peaceful) walk to Waitangi is due to go through central Whangarei this morning after protesters spent the night camped just south of the city.

the hikoi has used relay teams, with each walking short distances at a time and then driving by car. All 300 marchers plus local supporters were to walk through Whangarei. The marchers gathered south of Whangarei and walked Ikm to their campsite in a city council reserve yesterday afternoon. Two carloads of police, a few traffic officers, and Maori wardens were on hand, and the march went off without incident.

The protesters hope to reach Paihia on Sunday and go to nearby Waitangi for the treaty celebrations on Monday. A big police effort is under way in Waitangi. The police have already moved into the area, although most of them are expected today. Last year 400 police were at Waitangi and just as

many are likely this year. Although there have been no incidents on the march, liaison with the news media in Whangarei has been tense. Members of the Kotahitanga movement which has organised the march, said yesterday that they did not want photographs taken at the. campsite. The reason given was previous “bad feelings” with the news media. A few marchers tried to obstruct a photographer during the short march to the campsite.

Individual marchers who were approached referred a reporter to a press tent at the campsite, but a sign outside the reserve said, “No press.” A District Court judgment which could deny the police the power to arrest for an expected breach of the peace will not affect control at the Waitangi Day celebrations, according to the Commissioner of Police, Mr K. O. Thompson. A District Court Judge at Kaikohe last week awarded $l5OO in damages to a man for unlawful arrest and detention by the police at the Waitangi Day celebrations

last year.

Judge Taylor said in his judgment that there had previously been power to arrest under the Police Offences Act for an expected breach of the peace, but this was now specifically repealed by the Crimes Act, 1961.

“We are left only with a power to arrest after a past or present breach of the peace has occurred or is occurring,” he said. With Waitangi Day four days away, the Minister of Justice, Mr McLay, was asked at a press conference yesterday whether the police had the power to arrest someone they believed was about to breach the peace.

He said it was a matter of some argument — “It is unclear.

“I am not passing any judgment on that at this stage. That is the issue being considered by me and the Crown Law Office because we are still determining whether it should be appealed against.”

He said it was clear the police still had a power to arrest for breach of the peace.