STREET DEMONSTRATIONS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 21988, 24 June 1933, Page 12

STREET DEMONSTRATIONS

POLICY OP POLICE DEPARTMENT STATEMENT BY COMMISSIONER. . ' 1 ' ’ ! • .'" I ■ (Per United Press Association.) . AUCKLAND, June 23: The City Council recently inquired of Commissioner Wohlmann the pqjjcy of the Police Department towards stfeet meetings, processions,. and other public demonstrations. In a reply received last night the commissioner said that in larger centres particularly the police were convinced that such gatherings were extremely undesirable. “The events of 'the past year have shown clearly that requests from people to be allowed to hold street meetings or demonstrations have been in most instances instigated by the subversive elements for the purpose of bringing others into conflict with authority and to advance their own anti-social aims. Under cover of crowds the • criminal elements in the community venture into overt acts against citizens and the State. The plea put forward by these agitators to be allowed to appear in crowds on the public streets is not to seek redress of real grievances by constitutional means, but, by mass intimidation of the citizens, ,to force concessions.” ' He submitted that the time had gone when the streets in large and populous cities could or should be used by massed crowds. It was, therefore, the Police Department’s policy consistently to advise against permission being given by local authorities to persons to hold street meetings (other than religions meetings), processions, or demonstrations. He advised Auckland" to pass a bylaw similar to Wellington’s, making it unlawful to hold processions without a permit first granted by the council. In Wellington the council referred all such applications to the police, and if the police objected the permit was always refused. Or T. Bloodworth protested against the language used by the commissioner. He said he had no right to send a letter in that strain. It" was’ the commissioner’s duty to administer the law. He (Cr Bloodworth) would always protest against the police, or anybody else, dictating what the laws should he. The people elected by democratic vote, not officials, were authorised to make the The council decided to instruct its solicitor to prepare a by-law, the power to issue permits to be in the council’s hands. It also refused the application of the Socialist Party for a permit to hold meetings in a suitable side street.