View source for Citizens Opposed to the Springbok Tour

'''{{PAGENAME}}'''  was a [[Wellington]] group controlled almost exclusively by the highly secretive [[Workers Communist League]].

==Communist control==
In August 1981, Prime Minister Muldoon, briefed by the Security Intelligence Service, published a very minimalist list of 15 known or suspected communists in the anti Tour movement. Several COST activists figured on that list.

According to the COST history "56 Days", "Muldoon's release of the list implied that the movement was 'controlled' by these 15 or so people. In Wellington the thousands of COST supporters knew this not to be true..."

COST's structure consisted of an executive committee, a marshall's committee and marshalls. The marshall's job was to lead colour coded contingents of marchers in planned maneuvres around Wellington.

The [[Workers Communist League]] dominated [[Citizens Opposed to the Springbok Tour]] at all levels.

The COST executive committee was elected after the initial May 1st1981  mobilisation. It consisted of;

*[[Lindsay Wright]] (chairman) Previously a research officer for NZUSA, on the central committee of the [[National Anti Apartheid Council]] and an official of the [[Committee on Vietnam]]. A former contributor to [[The Paper]].
*[[Geoff Walker]] Later a chairman of Wellington [[HART]].
*[[Campbell Duignan]] A [[HART]] activist, later VUWSA National Affairs officer and a confirmed member of the [[Victoria University Progressive Students Alliance]], the student wing of the WCL. Later closely linked to the WCL in Dunedin.
*[[Eileen Cassidy]] Named by the SIS as a probable WCL member. Her daughter [[Lindy Cassidy]], was an open member of the WCL's predecessor, the [[Wellington Marxist-Leninist Organisation]].
*[[Dennis Rockell]] A former organiser of the [[National Anti Apartheid Council]].
*[[Dave Cuthbert]] A founding chairman of the NAAC, former president of NZUSA and a [[HART]] national councillor. Named by the SIS as a probable WCL member.
*[[Ian Baxter]] No information.
*[[David Stott]] Confirmed as a WCL member in 1984, ex NAAC central committee.
*[[David Wickham]] Denies WCL membership, but a former partner was a WCL member. Former AUSA International Affairs officer, HART activist and contributor to [[The Paper]].

later co-opted was [[Alick Shaw]] Open WCL member.

The marshall's committee consisted of;

*[[Alick Shaw]]
*[[Patti O'Neill]] Partner of self described Maoist and HART leader, [[Trevor Richards]].
*[[Roger Tobin]] A vice president of NZUSA, described as closely identified with the WCL, in "Truth" 25.11.80. Also described as a WCL member or sympathiser in "Critic" No 7, 1983.
*[[Tom Poata]] A Maoist and former member of the the [[Communist Party of New Zealand]].
*[[Ted Nia]] Formerly involved with the Maori radical group, [[Nga Tamatoa]].
*[[Dennis Rockell]]
*[[Dave Macpherson]] WCL member, former NZUSA researcher.
*[[Simon Wilson]] Named by PM Muldoon and Minister of Education Merv Wellington as a [[Wellington Marxist-Leninist Organisation]] or WCL member. A former president of NZUSA.

Other WCL linked activists included;

*[[Lisa Sacksen]] WCL member, full time COST worker
*[[Christine Gillespie]] WCL member, COST marshall
*[[Richard Hellyer]] [[Victoria University Progressive Students Alliance]] chairman, COST Green Section marshall
*[[Ronald Joseph Smith]] WCL member, COST marshall
*[[Martha Coleman]] WCL member, COST Pink Section marshall

[[Dave Macpherson]] (Orange Section), [[Tom Poata]] (Brown Section), [[Simon Wilson]] (Yellow Section), [[Patti O'Neill]] (Blue and Pink Sections)and [[Roger Tobin]] (Green Section) were all also COST marshalls.
[[Category:Workers Communist League]]
[[Category:New Zealand]]

==References==
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