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Salient. An Organ of Student Opinion at Victoria University College, Wellington N.Z. Vol. 21, No. 5. May 6, 1958

Civil Liberties

Civil Liberties

One of the most cherished rights of the people in democratic countries is the right to demonstrate and to register protest, whether by procession, by letters to the paper, or by banners and placards. One or two recent events and statements relating to different parts of the globe suggest that this fundamental prerogative of the people is not always being respected.

During the visit to this country of the German industrialist, Baron Krupp, a number of placards appeared on various buildings and power poles. These advocated banning the baron from New Zealand and named his as a prominent Nazi war criminal. Since then a senior police officer has announced in the Press that police prosecutions will be brought against those concerned. Whatever one's views may be concerning the visit of Baron Krupp, one must agree that the suggested police prosecutions are an unwarranted interference with the right of every citizen to demonstrate. I can only hope that the law in this regard will be changed and that the police will cease to display such intolerance and narrowness of mind.

In Australia recently the publishers and editor of the Sydney "Daily Mirror" were convicted of contempt of court on two charges and fined a total of £600. The fines followed two "Mirror" editorials with headings saying that a certain Judge Brennan had shocked the community by lenient sentences against motorists. This is a shocking instance of bureaucratic arrogance. If citizens are not to be free to criticise the administration of justice, whether by Courts or administrative tribunals, then they have no guarantee that the cause of justice is being served.

In Italy a Franciscan priest has been sentenced to eight months' imprisonment for disturbing a Red election meeting. He is the head of the Bologna archdiocese's famous "Flying Friars", a group of Franciscans, specially trained in Marxism, who use cars with loudspeakers to drive to Red rallies and answer Communist propaganda. Admittedly, this is an extreme case. But nonetheless it raises the question of the right to "heckle," i.e., the right to protest during rallies at certain statements made by the speakers. This decision is a dangerous precedent and the principle could be extended to cover all interjections at political meetings.

I hope that readers will carefully consider these cases of interference with civil liberties and will send protests to the appropriate quarters.