Staffrider Vol.6 No.2 1985 - DISA

which were picked up around thecampus. The numbers grew rapidly.Four people, including John walked upto the car. The crowd was silent, wordsheld in suspense.John walked round the car andstopped in front of the driver's window.'You are trespassing. You have nobusiness here. Didn't you see the sign.'His voice carried to the steps. The drivercontinued smoking, looking ahead as ifJohn did not exist. The camera continuedto click. One of the four positionedhimself in front of the camera window,blocking the photographer's line • ofview. John, seeing he was getting noreaction said, 'You know if you continueto smoke you'll get cancer.' The doctorin his white coat. The driver looked atJohn for a moment acknowledging hispresence for the first time. Then hequickly regained his composure. 'So youaren't deaf. Please remove yourselvesbefore we have to get the universitypolice to remove you.''Fat chance,' someone called outfrom the crowd.With the photographer's view nowblocked by others from the crowd, thedriver started up the car. As the carmoved away from the curb the driverfound his tongue. 'You just wait to seewhat you are going to get,' hungthreateningly in the air. John walkedback to the stairs to ironic applause.We sat silently on the stairs, waiting,looking at the view below our feet. Theslight south easter playing with thesmoke from the power station near theairport, a beacon for a weather consciouscity. The south easter bringing good surfon the Atlantic coast, and fine days.The northerly bringing up the surfon the Indian Ocean, and rain.A rumour circulating that the policewere coming in force to clear us awaywas greeted with disbelief yet almostwith hope. Action of some nature waswanted. The numbers on the steps werebeing visibly augmented by new arrivals.'What do you think?' I asked John.'Do you reckon they will actually comeup here in numbers to clear us off?'T wouldn't put anything past them,'he replied.'John, I don't know if you want totalk about it, but I have been wantingto ask you about your dad. In all theyears I have known your family hedidn't seem to be politically inclined atall. Do you know why he got involved?''That's just what I was thinkingabout,' John replied. T gave him thatbook on Mandela. Do you rememberthe one I showed you. I brought it backfrom London hidden in a nightie Ibought for my mother. Any booooks,'he said laughing, imitating the airportcustoms officer's call. 'One night I wokethirsty and went down to the kitchento make myself a cup of tea. The lightwas on in the study. I was surprised tosee my father, pipe in mouth, reading.He was so absorbed that I stood therefor a few moments before he becameaware of my presence. He was readingthe speech, 'Black man in a white court.'I made him some tea as well and we satand spoke. In some ways I think thatwas the beginning of his interest in theAfrican cause.' He paused for a moment.'Though maybe that's too simple a wayof looking at something so complex.How can we ever really know whatcauses a person to act, to stand up forsomething they really believe no matterwhat the consequences? Maybe we canonly really understand when it happensto us. Sometimes I blame myself when Isee where he is now, yet I think he ishappier within himself, having acted.So few people really do something inwhich they passionately believe.' He wasinterrupted by the sounds of vehicles,and somebody running from thedirection in which the noise was coming,calling out, 'The police are coming, fourtruck loads!'RI Blight. I amColonel Visser. I haveinstructions to clear these stepswithin fifteen minutes.My first reaction when the vans cameinto view was to laugh. It looked funny.Like a scene from Kelly's Heroes, thevans approached like tanks drivingbetween the placid ivy lined academicbuildings. Talk about overkill. Anylaughter was short lived. They parkedtheir vans in the places reserved for theChancellor, Vice-Chancellor and Deanand started off-loading the Alsatians.Swiftly and efficiently the police anddogs lined up at the bottom of thestairs.'Christ, there are forty of them,'John exclaimed. Dog leashes in onehand, batons drawn in the other,looking like they would enjoy nothingmore than the order to charge.Their commander strode out in frontof his troops, loudhailer in hand. Hisvoice echoed loudly in the amphitheatrecreated by the surrounding buildings.'Right. I am Colonel Visser. I haveinstructions to clear these steps withinfifteen minutes. This is an illegal gathering.If this area is not cleared withinfifteen minutes then I will order mymen to clear it for me.' The attention ofthe crowd was drawn to three peoplewho stood up and walked down towardsthe road and the police. It looked likethey had decided to leave. They stoppedand sat down a few feet in front of therow of dogs, as if defying them to haveago.'They must be crazy,' I whispered toJohn as the crowd applauded this move.'Not so crazy,' he replied. 'It looksbrave but if the charge comes they willprobably be least affected. A lot ofpeople will be thrown down the stairs.They at least are already at the bottom.'He stood up. 'Colonel Visser, you andyour men are trespassing. You have noright to be here. This has been a peacefulmeeting. We are affecting no-one. Whatyou are doing is illegal.''You have twelve minutes,' he replied.John turned to the crowd. 'Wehave every right to be here. We muststay put and not be intimidated by thisshow of brute force.' He sat down.There was an anxious buzz throughthe crowd. Nobody seemed to beleaving. A solidarity which was notusually evident at political meetings.'You have ten minutes.''Look,' John said pointing upwardsto the roof of the library building, fourstoreys high, to the right of the stepswhere we were sitting. At either endwere two flat-topped concrete pillarsending at the same height as the roof.Some people were sitting on top of thepillars. 'Witnesses to the end of civilisationas we know it,' John said jokingly.I wouldn't mind being up there now,'I said trying to capture the same spiritbut sounding nervous.'You have five minutes.'One of the law professors appearedat the bottom of the stairs. Despite analmost imbecilic appearance, a roundjolly face, protruding buck teeth andstomach, he was one of the mostbrilliant people to teach at the University.T have been told to ask youall to move. That comes from higherauthority not from me. You must makeup your own minds. You have everyright to be where you are but it may bea painful right to uphold.' He walkedaway to cheers from the crowd. Thetension broken for a moment.'You have four minutes.' The dogsunderstood that their moment wasdrawing near, straining tightly at theleashes. One let out an undisciplinedbark. A yelp of anticipation.'You have three minutes.' The sameformula as a mechanical clock.I felt sweat gathering on my browand lip. I was aware of my tonguelicking the salty beads. 'I'm terrified,' Isaid to John. 'Look at those teeth.''I'm also shit scared,' he said puttinghis arm around me. 'We mustn't letthose bastards see the fear. Link armseverybody,' he said to those around usThe whispered asides stopped. Timedidn't.STAFFRIDER, VOL. 6 NO. 2, 1985 27