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Salient. Victoria University Student Newspaper. Vol. 37, No 24. September 18, 1974

[Police are the worst gang of all]

We have waited a while before publishing this report because the matter was sub judice. The incidents described took place in July, a week or so after a proposed clash between the Mongrel Mob and the Black Power group had been called off In fact, there has been a large measure of peacefulness between the two groups lately. They realise they have a far bigger adversary — the police.

The brief newspaper reports would have readers believe that in the Clarendon Hotel incident for example, there was a brawl going on. There wasn't. Police created one because, as becomes clear below, they are learning new and ruthless riot control tactics and used the Clarendon crowd to practise on. Why do they waste their time on techniques that only provoke resistance, and why must they try and prove people are gang members by battering them about?

At about 9pm on Saturday, July 13, a group of ten or so policemen came into the Clarendon Hotel (corner Taranaki and Manners Street) and looked around. According to people present at the time it was just a typical Saturday night at the pub, a bit of singing, a lot of noise, but neither fighting nor any hint of it.

A group of youths in a corner started singing "Old MacDonald had a farm, e-i-e-i-o" at the sight of the police. They didn't intend to particularly provoke the police, who in turn weren't very troubled by it.

One policeman, however, standing by John Papera Smith (who was not in the group singing) said to John, "I bet they wouldn't say that to my face. John replied by joining in the singing, to the policeman's face. The policeman left.

About ten minutes before 10pm that night about 30 policemen entered the main bar of the Clarendon.

The scene at the time was similar to what it had been on the earlier visit. There was no skylarking, no tension, it was just a crowded but comfortable night at the pub. Most of the people present were young Maoris, but few if any were wearing the insignia of any gang. There were quite a few Europeans in the bar, and as it happened, quite a few people under the legal age.

While 10 or so policemen stationed themselves around the walls, the rest went up to various individuals and told them to leave. Most left immediately. One was John Smith. The policeman said to him "You've had enough, get out". John had been told that before, and, knew that although he wasn't breaking any law, the policeman meant to get him out of the bar. He left without com-plaint, and went into the bottle store. He was served, and a few minutes later he walked out of the bottle store and along the footpath outside the hotel. A policeman jumped in front of him, pushed into him, and said, "You're under arrest."

John said, "What for?"

The cop grabbed him from behind put his arms underneath John's then joined them behind John's head and forced it down, immobilising him. Two other cops grabbed John's legs, and the three carried him off to the paddy wagon. At no time during the arrest or carrying did John struggle. Yet a fourth policeman hit John repeatedly on and about the right eye, and a fifth kneed him in the neck as he was being carried. At some stage during this the cop who had earlier challenged John said, "You're not so tough now."

John was violently thrown in the police van, and with about seven other people was driven to the police station. There, the door was opened, a policeman yelled out John's full name (even though his name had not been mentioned or taken). John emerged from the van and was forcibly propelled into the station. Between the van and the station was a virtual gauntlet of about 10 policemen who kicked and punched John as he passed.

At the station, most of the total of seven who were arrested were put in the same cell. All, according to various witnesses, were manhandled and thrown about during all processes. The cell would open, cops would grab someone, say "You'll do", and haul him off.

One cop noticed that John's eye was severely damaged and puffed up. He asked another cop "Will we take him to hospital?" The other replied "no" and that was the end of it.

John asked one policeman, "What am I charged with?"

"Assault."

"Assault of who?"

"I don't know, we'll find someone."

While he had been carried away to the van, John's eyes had been closed because he was being beaten. To try and identify his assailant(s) he asked, "Who was the cop who was punching me, he sure knew how to punch?"

One cop came up and said, "Oh yeah, it was me." He showed John his hand which was cut and swollen, and said, "Jesus, my hand is nearly as big as your eye!"

Other prisoners were seen to be hurt or damaged, e.g. Kingi Stewart who had a bleeding mouth and another who had had his clothes torn about and left in tatters. During fingerprinting, photographing, questioning, etc., all were pushed and flung around.

The entire process at the station was carried out with ruthless efficiency, the police were obviously prepared for a large influx of prisoners. Normally you wait around for hours if you're arrested. But most arrested on Saturday night were rushed through. "There was no shagging around," said John. "I got the distinct impression they were ready for us."

When John's father was notified of his son's arrest, he went straight to the station. When he asked what John was charged with, a cop behind the desk replied "Assaulting the police," — not a policeman but the police in general. "I'll get the sergeant he assaulted," said the man at the desk — also highly unusual procedure. A tall, heavily built policeman emerged, without a mark on him, only a grin on his face. Mr Smith asked why his son was being held, and the cop replied that it was for assaulting him. "Rubbish," replied Mr Smith.

When he asked if he could bail his son out, the police replied, "No, we'll hold him." Notwithstanding this, he was later freed on bail.

Back at the pub, the whole arresting operation was effected in minutes. Witnesses saw that roads were blocked by traffic cops. Left inside the Clarendon were a few Europeans, and at least a few minors — the police weren't interested in them, only in who they thought were gang members.

Outside the pub the youths were picked off by the police, arrested on a variety of charges, most in a manner similar to John's arrest. There was no brawling, and only a few people put up any show of resisting arrest.

Only one person refused to leave the pub when told by the police. He had just arrived, hadn't had a drink that night, and resented being told that he'd had too much. He was quickly disposed of. Two policemen forced his arms outstretched and back, and a third pushed him from behind.

One witness described the speed and style of the operation as being similar to an Afrikaans commando raid on a shanty town.

A group of youths who were not arrested at the Clarendon made their way across the street. A cop found one of them with a gang insignia on the back of his jacket, he ripped it off, threw it on the road. No one was allowed to pick it up, or cross the road. Another youth was pushed backwards and forwards by the police. Finally he was told that he was under arrest. At this point he started fighting, so he was forcibly carted off.

The group walked towards a coffee bar in Ghuznee Street. Outside it, they were badgered by police in cars and on the footpath. One girl, L., went with some others to wait for friends in the Cuba Mall. She saw a friend being harrassed by police.

John Smith, a day after the police "arrested" him.

John Smith, a day after the police "arrested" him.

They were pushing and punching her. She was walking, but they kept pushing her to make her walk faster, just to irritate her. She went to the ground. They were hitting her on the ground. A man came to her aid, he went down, L. saw police boots coming down page 5 on him as he tried to get up. L. went to help the girl, and she was arrested.

Police making an arrest

"What for," she asked.

"Obstructing the footpath," said one cop. "Resisting arrest," said another.

She was taken towards the police car. One cop said, "Hurry up and get in the car or I'll hit you."

L. replied, "You hit me and I'll have you up for assault."

The policeman: "You try and prove it "

L.: "Just because you're the law you can't push me around."

At this two policemen already in the car laughed.

L. asked one cop what she was charged with. He replied "Oh I don't know what we'll charge you with."

L. asked later at the station what she was under arrest for. The reply: "One, obscene language." "What's two?" L. asked. "Two — resisting arrest." "Any more charges?" asked L. "Yes, obstructing the footpath." At one stage she had seen a policeman writing her down for only one of the charges.

I asked her whether she swore at all. "What one person did the whole lot did, as far as the police were concerned," she told me.

On the beat

On the beat