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Salient. Victoria University Student Newspaper. Volume 33, No. 2 4 March 1970

Agnew Aftermath

page 4

Agnew Aftermath

Student representatives in Auckland have made strong submissions to the University Policy Committee (a joint committee of Council and Senate) following police action against students and staff during the visit of Vice-President Agnew.

Mike Law, Auckland Students' Association President, told Salient that he hoped in future that the University would take steps to ensure that the right of staff and students to move freely in the University gounds would not be curtailed by police action. Law was very concerned about what he called the "unnecessary violence employed by police in moving some students from the University grounds" during the Agnew demonstrations.

In a letter to the University Council, written on behalf of the Executive on 12 February, Law wrote:

On the evening of January 15, students and members of staff were refused entry to the grounds (of the old Government House, now University property, which is directly opposite the Intercontinental—the Hotel where Agnew was staying) even though most could produce identification.

On the morning of the 16th, I contacted Mr Maidment (the Vice-Chancellor) who reaffirmed the terms of his letter and I believe I communicated this to Inspector Cummings. On the night of the 16th, students and members of staff were admitted to the grounds, but only after being extensively questioned by the police.

During the early part of the evening there were attempts by the police to clear the grounds. Again, between 11.30 and 12.30 there was a further attempt to clear students and staff from the grounds. In some cases, force was used against students.

It should be noted also by Council that the police made no attempt to protect University property. It seemed that the purpose of their being in the grounds was to use that area as a base to control the crowd outside. Policemen repeatedly jumped the fence to make arrests and made no attempt to avoid walking over plants or shrubs.

The arrangement made by the Vice Chancellor with the Police provided that police would be allowed onto the University grounds to protect University property so long as students and staff could have free access to the grounds. The view has been expressed that the police were determined to station men in the grounds despite any protest from the University. The policemen in the grounds-about 20 in all—were criticised strongly after the 11.45 incident on the night of the 16th. As well as clearing out students and staff from the grounds, many of them jumped the fence and, it is alleged, attacked demonstrators on the footpath, from behind. Several demonstrators told Salient correspondent John Laird of being kneed in the back and generally subjected to vicious treatment.

Mike Law's view is that the Vice Chancellor, in allowing police into the grounds, did the only thing he could under the circumstances. Mr Maidment showed Law the letter he had sent to Inspector Cummings. "If the police had stuck to the terms of the letter, there would have been no trouble" Law said.

He said that the staff and students in the University grounds were spectators at the demonstration and that he had formed the opinion that the police had not the ability or the maturity to determine at what stage they should interfere with the staff and students. He said that the Vice-Chancellor had assured him on the phone that the police had guaranteed to respect the rights of students and lecturers.

The Policy Committee is now considering submissions made by staff and student representatives and will report to the Council on 16 March.