“DOWN FASCISM”

Dominion, Volume 31, Issue 124, 19 February 1938, Page 9

“DOWN FASCISM”

Effigy Of Mussolini Burned MELBOURNE SCENE Thousands Demonstrate On Waterfront

By Telegraph.—Press Assn.—Copyright

Melbourne, February 18. Four thousand people demonstrated on the Port Melbourne waterfront last night as a protest against the assault on an Italian resident on the cruiser Raimondo Montecuccoli on Tuesday. The demonstrators burnt an effigy of Signor Mussolini amid angry shouts of "Down with Fascism!” and. “Punish the Fascist brigands!” Prince’s Pier, where the Italian cruiser is berthed, was closely guarded by strong detachments of police, and ail the members of the crew of the cruiser were refused shore leave. A crowd assembled on the road near the wharf and carried a stronglyworded motion against Fascism. The motion censured the Federal AttorneyGeneral “for not having taken action against this crime,” and demanded an apology and compensation for the victim of the assault.

A Melbourne message reported on Thursday that in addition to an assault on Wednesday on board the cruiser on an Italian resident of Melbourne, Ottavio Orlando, Italian sailors brandishing knives were alleged to have caused a disturbance in a club used by the Italian community at Carlton, and two city men who visited the cruiser stated that they were ordered to the commanders cabin, where they were asked whether they had made derogatory remarks about Signor Mussolini. An officer of the cruder said that the sailors had dealt with Mr. Orlando because they had taken him' for a man who had distributed anti-Fascist leaflets. .