KEY POINTS:
Two high-profile old foes whose opposing forces clashed during the 1981 Springbok Tour found themselves on the same side of the fence yesterday and shook hands for the first time in a meeting neither thought likely to happen.
John Minto, the former national organiser of Halt All Racist
Tours, yesterday met Ross Meurant, the former top cop and deputy leader of the police "Red Squad" during the tour which 26 years ago split New Zealand.
While both occupy differing spheres of the political spectrum, the pair found common ground yesterday in relation to last week's arrests of 16 people throughout the country during the so-called terror raids.
Mr Meurant, who last week criticised "extreme and excessive" police actions in investigating the possible guerrilla activists, told the Weekend Herald: "I don't at all embrace all the issues that Mr Minto embraces but it does appear on this particular issue we both are on the same side of the barricade."
The pair agreed legislation to deal with weapons and conspiracy crimes was enough to deal with those charged and introducing new terrorism laws would set dangerous precedents in the future.
Mr Meurant told TV3 this was an issue "all thinking New Zealanders must have some concern about".
"Once this beast gets its foot in the door it may turn on you because it doesn't like who you vote for or what you say about the Prime Minister ... I think it's a very dangerous precedent," he said.
Mr Minto, who said yesterday's meeting was something he "would never have believed could happen", appealed for calm and said the Government needed to take a deep breath.
He hoped the Government would not proceed with charges under the Terrorism Suppression Act against those arrested .
"We need cool heads here, we need the Government, the Minister of Police, the police themselves and the Attorney-General all to take a deep breath and say, 'Look, this is New Zealand and we are not a terrorist target'."
Mr Minto said both men had acknowledged to each other what had happened in 1981 and said both were likely to hold "strongly differing opinions" over the tour.
"But here we actually shook hands and sat down together."
Mr Meurant politely declined Mr Minto's invitation to join him on today's March For Freedom in Auckland as part of an international day of solidarity for the prisoners.
