1000 Students In Lisbon Arrested

Press, Volume CI, Issue 29820, 12 May 1962, Page 11

1000 Students In Lisbon Arrested

(N.Z. Press Association—Copyright) LISBON, May 11. Portuguese police today arrested an estimated 1000 Lisbon students, who were on hunger strike, and members of their families, the Associated Press reported.

The students were demanding permission from the Education Ministry to celebrate ‘‘student’s day, - ' which earlier had been banned as subversive.

The students, who had locked themselves in the canteen of the university, were driven to police headquarters in buses early in the morning after one of their professors had persuaded them and their supporters not to resist.

Captain Oscar Freitas, in command of the police force, entered the canteen of the university where the hungerstrikers had shut themselves, and told them, “I have orders to take you by force if necessary."

He appealed to them to let him "escort you all to (police) headquarters like gentlemen.”

Five professors were among the arrested in the police action, which began at 5 a.m„ the Associated Press reported. Increases Granted Meanwhile, reports from neighbouring Spain say that the Government has granted wage increases to workers in railway equipment factories and journalists in nearly all parts of the country, according to the British United Press. The increases were said to be the first in a series to be made by the Government in an attempt to stop the present wave of strikes, said the agency. The amount of the increases is not yet known.

The Spanish Cabinet was to meet today to consider the strike situation, which has caused three northern provinces to be placed under emergency laws. Miners and industrial workers throughout the country yesterday resisted appeals from the Church and Government to return to work. At least 60.000 workers, and perhaps as many as 80,000, are reported to be still on strike.