Tense Stage In Bari Winegrowers' Revolt

Press, Volume XCVI, Issue 28380, 12 September 1957, Page 16

Tense Stage In Bari Winegrowers' Revolt

(N.Z. Press Association—Cepyright)

(Rec. 8 p.m.) BRINDISI (Southern Italy), September 10. Strong police forces were on the alert today in the wine-grow-ing heel of Italy, where violent riots over the week-end have claimed three dead and about 40 injured, including 20 police. Protest meetings are being held in the small towns of the area, with speakers calling on the Government to abolish a local wine tax blamed for an economic crisis among growers.

Vineyard labourers are on strike in the Bari area, but no i fresh incidents have so far been reported. Life has returned to normal m the four towns where the clashes occurred—San Donaci, San Pietro Vernotico, Cellina San Marco and San Pancrazio—-but the atmosphere there is tense. , ~ Police are standing by in the troubled area and more reinforcements are on the way to forestall any incidents in adjacent areas. The worst rioting took place yesterday at San Donaci. Demonstrators blocked the roads leading into town. When the police broke through the blocks they were met by a hail of stones. They used teargas bombs to scatter the crowd, and shots were fired. One civilian was killed, another died shortly afterwards in hospital, and a woman injured in the' clash died today. The demonstrations flared up after a report spread that wine growers were being offered only about 2600 lire for a quintal of this autumn’s grape crop (£1 10s for 2201 b), which is slightly more than half the normal price. This year’s abundant crop has aggravated the economic troubles of winegrowers faced with large stocks of last year’s unsold wine in their cellars.

Growers said the Government should abolish or cut the local wine tax and institute price support programmes. The authorities said the riots

have been fomented by Communist activists. The Communist-led Italian Confederation of Labour tonight called on the winegrowers to stage mass demonstrations tomorrow in protest against the killings during the riots.

After an emergency meeting the confederation, which the Government has accused of organising the wine riots, issued detailed instructions for mass meetings tomorrow throughout the rich wine country between Brindisi and Taranto. It also demanded in a resolution that the police should be disarmed.