Greens Protest in South Africa
Eight members of the West German Greens Party occupied Bonn’s embassy here today to protest apartheid.
The environmentalist, anti-nuclear party said in a statement that the Greens, including party organizer Petra Kelly, would remain inside the embassy for 48 hours to protest the support of Chancellor Helmut Kohl’s government for the white minority government.
Foreign Minister Roelof (Pik) Botha said that he was aware of the situation and that Charge d’Affaires Fritz Ziefer “considers them to be uninvited guests of the embassy, and their presence constitutes a nonviolent occupation of the embassy.”
He said South Africa’s ambassador in Bonn “has been asked to protest to the West German government against the improper use of diplomatic passports by the Greens.”
An embassy spokesman said the eight--five men and three women, seven of them members of the West German Parliament--were locked up in a room at the mission. There was no attempt to interfere with normal diplomatic business.
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
