2000 Japanese Students Riot

Press, Volume XCIX, Issue 29222, 4 June 1960, Page 13

2000 Japanese Students Riot

(N.Z. Press Association—Copyright) (Rec. 11p.m.) NEW YORK, June 3. More than 2000 Leftist students smashed through gates to the official residence of the Japanese Prime Minister (Mr Kishi) today and seized four police riot trucks. Police did not at first try to stop them, but they later fought back.-

The mob was part of a crowd of 10,000 members of the Zengakuren Students' Federation who had marched on the Prime Minister’s residence and the adjacent Diet (Parliament) demanding Mr Kishi’s resignation and renunciation of the Japan-United States Security Treaty.

The bulk of the students snakedanced around the sprawling

Diet compound but a group of 2000 broke off and showered stones on police guarding the official residence. Then they pushed the huge iron gates open when police retreated. About 500 policemen were inside the residence grounds but they made no effort to stop the students from pushing out two of about 20 armoured riot trucks parked inside the area. The students rolled the trucks into the street, smashed all the windows, ripped off the hoods and poured dirt and sand into the engines They beat the trucks with sticks and bricks. One of the student leaders shouted: "Let’s smash into the Premier’s residence. We must hold our rally there.”

Some students threw firecrackers into the ranks of the police, who formed >a heavy cordon behind the gates and in the grounds of the residence.

Although the policemen did not resist the first student charge, they fought back with clubs when the students attacked a second time and drove the demonstrators out

Twenty policemen were injured, five seriously. Student casualties were believed to be at least as high.