FIERCE BATTLE

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 68, Issue 134, 18 March 1948, Page 5

FIERCE BATTLE

Police and Strikers COMMUNIST M.P. INJURED (N. Z.P. A.—Copyright). . BRISBANE, March.l7yPolice armed with batons and strikers l using fists and heavy billets of wood fought a fierce 15-7 minute battle in the he&rt of Bris-- ~ bane this morning. .... The condition of the Communist member of Parliament, Mr°F. Pat- - . erson, who is one of two injured;--demonstrators taken to hospital, is' ", serious. He has a brain injury, a possible fracture of the skull, a and severe lacerations of the scalp. The march began after a meeting, at the Trades Hall. Mqst of the placards carried by the marchers were on green cardboard in honour of St. Patrick’s Day. The police called for reinforcements from Ipswich, 25 miles away. Police, said to have numbered 300, laid an ambush at a point near, the Trades Hall where the road, narrows over a railway bridge. The marchers stopped for a moment, but the next in etant the road was a mass of struggling figures. Some of the marchers were caught against the rail of the overhead, bridge and disarmed, bin they fought back, yelling, “Fascists!” and “Call this a free country!” The police seized the placards and drove the marchers back towards the Trades Hall, where a battle raged. Detectives drew short batons. Others fought with fists, and both marchers and police used broken wooden placard handles. Then uniformed police reinforcements poured down from a barracks nearby, cut off both ends of the street and finally shepherded the demonstrators back to the Trades Hall.' Dishevelled _marchers shouted abuse at the police and sang: It’s a Great Day for the Irish,” and “Advance, Australia Fair.” Men Appear in Court _ Later to-day five men appeared in -the Police Court, charged with taking part in an unlawful procession. They were Michael Healy, aged 41, secretary of the Brisbane Trades and Labour Council; Max Nordau Julius, aged 32, a barrister; Basil Clifford Tippett, aged 31, a watersider; Sydney Herbert Boyd, aged 30, a watersider; and Robert Myles, a fitter. All were remanded, bail being allowed. A detective inspector said he was instructed to press for an early hearing, as a very ugly situation had developed, and there was open defiance on the part of Healy and\ others to law and order. AVhen charged, Healy said: “I plead not guilty, and I draw attention to the fact that what I did this morning 1 did from the dictates of' my own heart.” Julius read a statement that he and Paterson went from the Trades Hall as observers and for the purpose of giving legal assistance. “I saw an absolutely vicious and illegal attack with batons by numerous plain clothes members of the Police Force on people walking peacefully down _ Edward Street" he added. “I observed a detective, whose name I know f make ,an absolutely unwarranted attack from behind on Paterson by hitting him on the head with a baton with terrible force.” • -

' REACTION TO CLASH ALL STATES MAY BE INVOLVED (Rec. 11.55) BRISBANE, This Day. The reaction to yesterday’s clash between demonstrators and the police bids fair to involve all eastern States in the Queensland strike, which, until now, has been contained within the State. This may force the Federal Government to take action in the matter which so far it has treated as being solely the responsibility of the Queensland Government. Miners in southern and northern New South Wales coalfields are holding pit-top meetings to-day, and are expected to follow the lead of the western miners in deciding on a 24-hour strike as a protest against the police and Queensland Government methods. The Queensland Labour Council has called upon all Brisbane unionists to assemble this afternoon in King George Square to protest against “Fascist brutality.” Premier Hanlon expressed doubt that the police had exceeded their duty in any way. The move to have the disturbance made the subject of a public inquiry was defeated at the Queensland Parliamentary Labour Party meeting.