Protesters asked to hold fire

Press, 1 April 1985, Page 4

Protesters asked to hold fire

NZPA staff correspondent

-m. Perth The Prime Minister, Mr “Dge, yesterday called on anti-tour protesters to hold their fire until the New Zealand Rugby Union announces a decision on touring South Africa. He particularly warned them against illegal or irresponsible protests. Mr Lange made his call on being told that the Rugby Union’s council had decided to defer its decision on the proposed All Black tour until the next council meting on April 17, the day Mr Lange returns from his trip to Africa. “I ask those people who

are concerned about this tour to restrain their level of protest pending that decision,” Mr Lange told reporters with him on the flight to Perth. “It would only be provocative if there were to be irresponsible or illegal protests, which would, I think, judging the mood of the union, drive it into being more receptive about the invitation than it is now,” he said.

Mr Lange said the final decision would be against the tour if the Rugby Union took into account the interests of New Zealand. “The union will have another two or three weeks to

consider the material I put to them,” he said. The 18member council announced its deferral of a decison four hours after Mr Lange presented a strong plea against the tour in a meeting at Parliament shortly before he left on his overseas trip. In a meeting later described by Mr Lange as solemn, he told the councillors that the interests of New Zealand lay in the tour’s not going ahead.

“I knew that there was a body within the Rugby Union that was capable of heeding a broader call than from rugby people — and I put it on them,” he said.