Troops Fire On Crowd In Dominican Republic

Press, Volume C, Issue 29687, 4 December 1961, Page 17

Troops Fire On Crowd In Dominican Republic

(NZ Press Association— Copyright) SANTA DOMINGO, December 2. . Troops yesterday opened fire on demonstrators'calling for the resignation of President Joaquin Balaguer, of the Dominican Republic, wounding an unknown number.

United Press International said a truckload of troops forced its way with rifle sl»ta and noise bombs through demonslrators, including women, injuring at least 10. Unconfirmed reports from Santiago reported another 30 women injured there when troops used rifle fire and noise bombs to disperse them from in front of the electric company offices, where they were seeking to persuade workers to join a general strike, UJP.I. said. The injured women in Santo Domingo were m a crowd of about 1000 on the way to Independence square, to hear reports by Opposition

leaders on the general strike. Eye-witnesses said trie rifle fire appeared to be directed in tbe air. Later, the other women regroupd and continued marching. Many of them were weeping. Others were crying “Strike, strike” and ‘ ‘Murderers, murderers.” Men on the footpath watching the women march, cheered them. The opposition general strike, aimed at toppling the government appeared yesterday to be collapatag in the face of stern military support for trie regime, U.P.L said. The Associated Press said that warships of the United States fleet, petrolling near

the troubled country since members of the Trujillo dynasty unsuccessfully attempted to seize power earlier this month, were visible offshore yesterday. One man shouted to United States correspondents yesterday: “Why dad you bring those boats? To defend assassins? Yankees go home.” Some echoed this and shouted, "Get the Yankees.” In Washington the United States expressed fear that violence and political manoeuvring in the Dominican Republic may have set back that country’s progress toward democracy. In a statement read to reporters by the press officer, Mr Joseph Reap, the State Department voiced hope that responsible elements in tbe Dominican Republic would use "statesmanship and moderation to reach a prompt resolution of the present situation.”