1984 - Human Rights, Social Justice

Human Rights, Social Justice

The U.S. Commission on Civil Rights votes January 17 to discontinue numerical quotas for promotion of black workers and executives. "Such racial preferences merely constitute another form of discrimination," the commission says in a sharp reversal of its previous position. President Reagan has appointed its members and they reflect his views.

New York's City Council enacts legislation (Local Law 63) banning discrimination in clubs that have more than 400 members, provide regular meal service, and regularly receive "payment for dues, fees, use of space, facilities, services, meals or beverages directly from or on behalf of non-members for the furtherance of trade or business." The law is designed in part to protect professional and business women, who have been excluded from clubs such as the Union League, University, Athletic, and Century Association at which men often conduct business. Dues payment by employers make a club subject to the law (see 1988).

Polish security police abduct pro-Solidarity priest Jerzy Popieluszko, 37, and murder him October 19. His body is discovered in a reservoir on the Vistula River and public reaction forces the government to hold a public trial of the perpetrators. Four security officials will be convicted in February of next year.

South Africa troops and police raid Sebokeng and three other black townships October 23 with automatic rifles to suppress riots that have raged since September 2 (see 1982); 358 are arrested on charges of possessing stolen goods or violating pass laws, which restrict movements of blacks into urban areas; the troops withdraw October 24, leaving police to deal with the riots, but the anti-apartheid United Democratic Front calls the raid "akin to civil war." African National Congress (ANC) activists and others have made it virtually impossible since July for the nation's white minority to govern, and the United States issues a statement saying that the raid "put into question [South African government's] professed intentions in dealing with the problems of the country by reform and concession." Black activists in the Johannesburg and Pretoria areas stage a massive strike November 5 to 6, demanding regulation of political officials in the black townships, release of political prisoners and detainees, reinstatement of all dismissed workers, an end to rent and bus-fare increases, and abolition of the general sales tax. The Southern Africa Catholic Bishops' Conference issues a report December 6 estimating that the disturbances have cost 150 lives since early September, and violence in the next 2 years will result in 4,000 being killed (see 1985).

Chilean police raid the Santiago slum district La Victoria November 15, round up 32,000 suspected leftists, and hold them in a soccer stadium for questioning about recent demonstrations against the absolutist rule of Gen. Pinochet.