THE TOUR
Some of the protest had the dual purpose of linking alleged racial discrimination against Māori in New Zealand to apartheid in South Africa. Some of the protesters, particularly young Māori, felt frustrated by the image of New Zealand as a paradise for racial unity. Many opponents of what they saw as racism in New Zealand in the early 1980s saw it as useful to use the protests against South Africa as a vehicle for wider social action. However, some Maori supported the tour and attended games.
According to some participants, the tour 'brought the country the closet it has come in the twentieth century to civil war' - The situation was extremely dangerous and "ordinary New Zealanders from all walks of life were asked to come out week after week and place themselves in the hands of marshals who did not tell them what was expected of them until the time came to make the surprise attack".
OPPOSITION TO THE TOUR
According to some participants, the tour 'brought the country the closet it has come in the twentieth century to civil war' - The situation was extremely dangerous and "ordinary New Zealanders from all walks of life were asked to come out week after week and place themselves in the hands of marshals who did not tell them what was expected of them until the time came to make the surprise attack".
OPPOSITION TO THE TOUR