Image of woman with head injury.

35 Years Ago: Springbok Tour Protests in Wellington

29 Jul 2016
Coverage of Springbok Tour protests in Wellington by RNZ reporters Lindy Fleming and James Weir.

On July 29, in Wellington, 2,000 protesters opposing the Springbok Tour were confronted by police who used batons to stop them marching up Molesworth St to the home of South Africa’s ambassador in Wadestown. This was the first use of batons against protestors and the violence horrified many people. There were no mobile phones in 1981, so reporters couldn’t provide live coverage from the middle of a march, but RNZ reporters Lindy Fleming and James Weir were there and reported back in the studio on what they saw and captured with their tape recorders.

Report on Wellington Protests (29 July 1981)