Cable Briefs (Press, 27 June 1978)

On 27 June 1978, a significant protest occurred in Sydney, where heavy police reinforcements were deployed and seven arrests were made during a raucous demonstration supporting 53 individuals facing charges in connection with their arrest during a homosexual rights march in Kings Cross the preceding Saturday evening. The protest involved demonstrators throwing eggs as a form of dissent, reflecting anger towards law enforcement's handling of the situation. Activists called for a Royal Commission to investigate allegations of police violence and brutality during the march, with reports indicating that at least two of those arrested had required hospital treatment. In other news, Christina Onassis, the 27-year-old daughter of Aristotle Onassis, reportedly arrived in Moscow to marry Nikolai Kaozov, the head of the tanker division at the Soviet freight organisation Sovfracht. According to the "Daily Express," she is willing to live with the 40-year-old Soviet official in Moscow and manage her shipping empire from within the Soviet Union, although the specifics of how she plans to conduct business amidst the complexities of the Communist system were not detailed. Furthermore, in Brussels, seven police officers from the suburb of Ixelles were arrested on burglary charges. These officers, six men and one woman, had allegedly targeted jewellery stores during nighttime patrols over the past three years, using their truncheons to smash windows. While the exact value of the stolen goods remained undetermined, authorities suggested it could be worth tens of thousands of dollars. In response to this scandal, town officials announced immediate changes to police patrol units to prevent potential collusion among officers working closely together for extended periods. Lastly, Zaire's President Mobutu Sese Seko delivered an impassioned speech defending his 15-year regime against Western accusations of corruption. He responded to criticisms by drawing parallels with high-profile American scandals, such as Watergate and the Lockheed affair. His remarks appeared to be a direct counter to growing Western demands for him to address corruption in return for foreign aid. Following a recent meeting in Brussels, Western nations reached a consensus to provide Mr Mobutu with aid, contingent on oversight by officials from the International Monetary Fund to ensure the proper allocation of funds within Zaire's economy.

The text on this page is created, in the most part, using Generative AI and so may contain errors or omissions. It is supplied to you without guarantee or warranty of correctness. If you find an error or would like to make a content suggestion please get in contact

The text on this page is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 New Zealand