HOLT ATTACKED BY MOB

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31226, 25 November 1966, Page 13

HOLT ATTACKED BY MOB

Wild Scene After Election Meeting (N.Z. Press Association —Copyright) SYDNEY, November 24. The Prime Minister, Mr Harold Holt, continued his high-pressure election campaign today apparently none the worse for last night’s wild demonstration against him.

A crowd of people outside suburban Rockdale Town Hall surged around the Prime Minister and his party as they left the hall after a political meeting.

They screamed, kicked and punched at police and tried to get at the Prime Minister. Mr Holt received several glancing blows but he was unhurt. The demonstration was mainly in support of the conscientious objector, William White, aged 21, a former schoolteacher. White was dragged from his home by State police on Tuesday after he refused to report for national service. Apart from stirring up yesterday’s wild scenes, the White case has disturbed many Australians who are concerned at the existing system of hearing conscientious objections.

Many people believe that if it serves no other purpose

at the polls on Saturday, it will lead to a review of this machinery by the new government. Eyewitnesses said there were about 500 demonstrators in the scene. Some of them, including women, were knocked down during the melee. Shouts of “Murderer” were directed at the Prime Minister as the police forced their way through the crowd with Mr Holt and other members of his party in their midst. “Most Savage” Newspapers today described the demonstration as one of the most savage staged against an Australian political leader. Eyewitnesses described the scene in this sequence: Mr Holt had just entered the foyer when someone threw the first punch. It landed on the back of his head. Bewildered, Mr Holt turned around and said: “Who did that?” Police and his Parliamentary colleagues formed a human shield around Mr Holt.

They began to shepherd him to his car, 20 yards away.

A screaming mob of i youths, girls, and middle-aged men and women surged forward. Mr Holt’s Liberal allies were helpless against the crush of bodies hurtling themselves forward to break the police line. The police leant backwards tv ward off the blows shrieking youths and mature men were trying to rain on the Prime Minister.

Mr Holt ducked his head and hunched his shoulders to protect himself. Two men succeeded in get-

ting through the police chain and punched Mr Holt on the shoulders. In a tremendous effort to save Mr Holt from serious physical injury, the police linked arms and drove backwards to clear a circle. Men and women were trampled underfoot in the swirling, struggling, punching mass of bodies. Police were knocked down, their caps trodden on as they struggled to get Mr Holt into his car.

With one furious drive they cleared a path, wrenched open the car door and bundled Mr Holt inside alongside his driver. Car Rocked The crowd rocked the car violently and tried to overturn it, but the press of bodies on the other side kept the vehicle on its wheels. The car started to move with police completely surrounding it.

Young men and women hurled themselves in front in a vain attempt to block Mr Holt’s progress. They were hurled aside by police. For 50 yards the car inched forward through the screaming mob. The demonstrators drummed their fists on the roof and sides and kicked any part of the car within reach. Finally, it broke clear.

Six men appeared in Court today on charges arising out of the demonstration. They were remanded on bail.