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S. Africa's Teens Give New Law the Kiss-Off
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A couple of news reports took note of the burgeoning outrage on Facebook. As the New Year arrived, postings by other teens began calling for public kissing demonstrations at malls across the nation, at noon every Saturday in January. Frances's group, meanwhile, now has more than 14,000 members.
Many of the protest plans fizzled. One group organizing an event at a mall in a nearby suburb postponed its action for a week. Elsewhere, teens posted messages expressing regret that they could not arrange transportation or were traveling abroad. Amid rumors of teens being fined for breaking the law, some would-be protesters got cold feet.
Armand Stoop, 17, who has a crew cut and a faint goatee, said his 15-year-old girlfriend had called off all kissing since hearing the news.
"She's really law-abiding," Stoop said with a hint of sadness mingled with frustration. "She doesn't want to get me in trouble."
In interviews, authorities said most teens had little to fear. A Justice Department spokesman said of kissing by those under 16, "Technically it is illegal, but obviously those children are not going to be charged."
Assistant Police Commissioner Tertius Geldenhuys said that the reported demonstrations merited no special deployment plans and that officers would take complaints but not initiate action even if they came across necking 14-year-olds. "Your innocent children will not be prosecuted, and the police will not take note of it," he said. "We have much bigger issues to concern ourselves with."
Yet at Northgate Ice Arena, redolent with the heady scent of old socks and young love, the protesters girded themselves with brave words.
"The police are here! The police are here!" Frances exulted when two police officers appeared shortly before the demonstration was due to begin at 1 p.m.
But the officers took no apparent notice of the dimly lit maneuverings on the ice, where Frances grabbed a platonic friend for a symbolic protest hug. Then, as a couple of news cameras trained on her as she stood rink-side afterward, she put her arm around a second platonic friend, Joe Tewson, 14, and kissed his cheek.
