SERIOUS RIOTS

Evening Post, Volume CXXXI, Issue 28, 3 February 1941, Page 8

SERIOUS RIOTS

CITY OF JOHANNESBURG

ARMOURED CARS IN STREETS

SOLDIERS INVOLVED

(By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright.)

(Received February 3, 1.30 p.m.)

JOHANNESBURG, Feb. 2

Wild scenes were witnessed in the heart of Johannesburg early this morning when a thousand police, civilians, and soldiers, were involved in serious riots as a result of which 140 persons, mostly soldiers, have so far been sent to hospital. The police used tear gas and made several baton charges. Armoured cars toured the streets this morning and quiet was restored at 11 a.m.

The trouble can be traced to a meeting of the Ossewabrandwag on Friday, when the leader of the organisation, Dn Van Rensburg, addressed the meeting, which was not political, but! purely cultural. j Although the meeting was orderly, when it was over clashes occurred in j the streets between soldiers and civil-; ians. Some of the civilians were wear-j [ing beards, which are favoured by' I members of" the Ossewabrandwag, an [organisation of extreme Republican | views which is popularly regarded as being anti-British. Police interfered in the street clashes, and it is reported that soldiers resisted taking orders from policemen who were not wearing orange slashes on their shoulders. These slashes are worn by policemen who volunteer for duty in any part of Africa. The trouble started again on Saturday night and went on till this morning. GENERAL RIOTING. The disturbances began when soldiers on leave' attacked a man on a tramcar who was thought to.be a member of the Ossewabrandwag. General noting followed, and shop windows were broken, cars wrecked, and a police van set on fire. Soldiers unsuccessfully attempted to reach the office of the Ossewabrandwag m the building of the "Transvaaler Republican" newspaper. They then ran round the building breaking plate-glass windows. Bricks were also flung through the windows of the office of "The Vaderland," Genera] Hertzogis newspaper, damaging machinery. Theatregoers were caught in the disturbances when they were at their height. Police reinforcements were sent from outlying towns, the First National Volunteer Brigade was called out, and troops were summoned from military camps.