SOUTH AFRICAN AMBASSADOR CHASED OUT OF OXFORD from Ken Tarbuck (Ruskin)
As reported last week, the South African Ambassador postponed his visit to Oxford because of the demonstration that was held. As readers will now know he did come to Oxford on the 17th of June to speak to the Oxford University Conservative Club, Despite pouring rain, between 300 and 400 students staged a further demonstration against his visit and the Rivonia trial sentences. The protest was organised by the Ruskin Students Against Apartheid - it should be noted that the University proctors banned any University student body from taking part. Despite this ban large numbers turned up to protest. It should also be noted that the Proctor's watchdogs were present in forge and co-operated with the police,
The demonstrators stayed outside the meeting hall for nearly three hours, keeping up a barrage of songs and chants of "Free Mandela" and "De Wet is a Deeeece's The whole demonstration was orderly until De Wet left the meeting hall, The police formed up around him and forced their way through the crowd, It was then that the scuffling took place. There were large numbers of uniformed and plain clothed police present and they roughly handled students who tried to sit down. One student was picked up end thrown bodily against a wall, It was this violence that sparked off the reaction from the crowd.(£4 was collected by them to pay for beakages)
Only one of the four people arrested was actually taken in charge at this time. It was only after the demonstration had dispersed that the other three were arrested, and they were merely shouting slogans at De Wet when his car stopped near the outskirts of the town to change a tyree One thing is certain, De Wet will think twice before coming to Oxford again. Let us hope that the Anti-Apartheid movement will take note of this demonstration and mount similar ones wherever De Wet shows his snout,