Other formats

    Adobe Portable Document Format file (facsimile images)   TEI XML file   ePub eBook file  

Connect

    mail icontwitter iconBlogspot iconrss icon

Salient: Victoria University Students' Paper. Vol. 29, No. 3. 1966.

Anarchists again in action

Anarchists again in action

Bill's back!

Bill's back!

Salient Reporter

"If There Were A God, would he tolerate this musical rubbish?" asked Bill Dwyer of a small crowd gathered to listen to the open air campaigners, a couple of weeks ago.

Whether or not he would, it was made clear that one or two members of the crowd would not tolerate Bill Dwyer. Scarcely had he made this remark (into the campaigners' amplifying system) than a powerfully-built member of the crowd attacked him, notwithstanding the fact that Dwyer was encased in plaster, and not completely able to defend himself.

Former Wellington activist Dwyer and four Vic anarchists had been furiously heckling the evangelists as they played music, sang songs and otherwise spread their message fast and thick over the land. The audience consisted mainly of Maoris and Islanders, a fact which prompted one of the unconverted to sundry rude remarks about Samuel Marsden and his treatment of the Maoris.

One of the campaigners, testifying about the advantages of being saved, said that since he bad come to Jesus he was not troubled with having to think about sex. This remark proved too much for Dwyer who expressed his opinion into the campaigners' microphone. Having been assaulted, he proceeded to lay about with his walking stick but was attacked again. Only the intervention of a sturdy supporter saved him from possible severe injury.

A free country

The campaigners berated the anarchists with cries of "This is a free country—you can't do that here!" but Dwyer, unperturbed, turned to the assembly and delivered an oration on "Christian bastards," while friends held back waves of hysterical fans. The anarchists, perceiving the mood of the crowd, decided that discretion was indeed the better part of valour and proceeded on their way.