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Salient. Victoria University Student Newspaper. Vol 35 no. 14. 28 June 1972

SGM

SGM

Photo of Tame Iti

Above: Tame Iti, who was recently arrested for tres-pass in Parliament grounds when he set up a tent to serve as an embassy for the Maori people. Tame's charge was dismissed in court last Friday. The speaker Mr Allen denied lames application to set up his whare, but as he gave no orders for Tame's arrest the police exceeded their duty. They went beyond the pale after the arrest too. In the police station Tame arranged for a friend to contact a lawyer, but he was not allowed to make any calls himself, not even to the people with whom he was staying. Nor would the police grant him bail. They said that there was no one suitable to put up bail. This after numerous people, including an M.P., had offered to stand bail. The police claimed to have been in touch with the Maori Welfare Department whom they said would not trust Tame.

Subsequent investigation has confirmed that the police made no effort at all to contact the Maori Welfare Department.

Tame is free now, and he will not make the same mistake again. His mistake was to demonstrate on his own. Had there been more demonstrators at Parliament or in prison, the police would have not got away with their tactics. Tame has learned...... he will return to par liament and this time he will not be alone.