FASCISTS AND COMMUNISTS

Evening Star, Issue 21785, 30 July 1934, Page 2

FASCISTS AND COMMUNISTS

THE OLYMPIA DISTURBANCE CHARGES AT POLICE COURT Nineteen men and two women appeared before Sir Gervais Renton], K.C., at AVest London Police Court on June 8 on various charges arising out of the disturbances which attended the Fascist meeting at Olympia two nights before.

The first case was that, of Barnet Becoiv, 24, described as a cabinetmaker, of Mile End road, who was charged with using insulting words and behaviour, with obstructing the police, and with having an offensive weapon with intentvto commit a felony.

Inspector O’Carroll said that he was on duty with several other officers in Olympia Passage, near the main entrance of Olympia. Becow, who appeared to be the ringleader of several people opposed to the organisation bolding. the meeting, shouted: “ Down with the Black .Shirts! Down with the Alosley gang! ” When the witness approached Becow the defendant assumed a fighting attitude and refused to go away. A mounted officer rode up and Becow seized the reins and punched the horse so that it fell. He was taken into custody. -He attempted to trip up the witness, and one police officer was knocked into the roadway.

Other police officers gave evidence, and Becow was stated to have had a wooden truncheon in his possession. Becow denied that he punched the horse, and said that the police dragged him along and used more violence than was necessary. In trying to stop the police he naturally , used violence himself. The “ weapon of offence” was taken from a Fascist who used it on his head.

The Magistrate said that the case was fully proved. Becow was not excited by anything that was said at the meeting, but he wont there, in his (the magistrate's) opinion, deliberately to create trouble and started to create trouble as soon as he got there. For being in possession of an offensive weapon with intent to commit a felony Becow was sentenced to one month’s imprisonment. On the other charges he was fined £3.

Charles Joseph Piper, 21, electrician, pleaded “ Guilty ” to using insulting words and behaviour and obstructing a police officer, but “Not guilty” to carrying an offensive weapon. ' Inspector Deller said that' Piper followed him and a prisoner and shouted to the crowd: “He is hostile towards ms. Come on, boys. We are not letting these take him.” Piper tried to trip him tip. At the police station there was found under his trousers a pair of cutting pliers held up by a garter. " The Alagistrate dismissed the third charge and fined Piper 10s, with the alternative of seven days’ imprisonment, for using insulting words and behaviour, and 40s, with the alternative of fourteen days’ imprisonment, for obstructing the police. Peter Tripp, 35, labourer, was charged with obstructing the police and using insulting words and behaviour. It was stated that Tripp appeared to be the ringleader of 200 or 300 people who were shouting slogans like: “ Down with the Fascists,” and “ Come on, comrades.” Tripp agreed that he was shouting the anti-1 ascist “slogans,” but said fie was not capable of pulling a cat roiiljd. He was seriously ill with, pleurisy. The Alagistrate, in fining Tripp 30s, said that everyone was entitled to express his political views in a reasonable and proper manner, but they could not allow breaches of the peace of that kind. Tripp was there for the purpose of creating a breach of the peace. Alaurice Connor, 21, clerk, charged with, using insulting words and behaviour, asked for a remand so that he might obtain legal aid. The -application was granted. , Similar applications by defendants were also granted. POLICE AND LORD BERNERS. Lord Berners, of Belgrave square, giving evidence oh behalf of an accused named Jackson, said a policeman said to. him very rudely: “Get out,” and hit him (the witness) over the head with some s6rt of weapon like a sword. That naturally annoyed Air Jackson, Who remonstrated, with the officer. The-witnos saw.no more. The crowd were not rioting. They were singing a very dreary song, which, he believed was called ‘ The Internationale.’ Robert Hever Perry, a horse trainer, said that a policeman knocked Lord Berners against the railiiigs, and Jackson shouted: “You can’t do that.”

Jackson, replying to the magistrate, said that the police assaulted him “ in a most aggressive manner.” The crowd were not disorderly. They were singing their dismal little song, but the way the police acted was the most extraordinary performance he had ever seen.

The Alagistrate said that Jackson had certainly obstructed the police, but a charge pf using insulting words would he dismissed. Clifford Boulton (25). fitter’s mate, who was charged with using insultipg words and behaviour, was alleged to have struck the leader of a group of Fascists. Crowds surged round, and blows were exchanged. At the police station Boulton said: “I wag wise to do it in self-defence.’ He* was fined 10s.

Alfred Goddard (27), bricklayer, charged with rising insulting words and behaviour, was fined 10s.

Nellie Tuck (17), factory hand, pleaded not guilty to using_ insulting words and behaviour, and guilty to assaulting Winifred Grace Collins, of Lancing, Sussex. It was stated that when Tuck saw Miss Collins and two Fascists approaching she shouted: “Come oh, here’s some more,” and kicked her on the ankle.

• Tudk told the magistrate: “ I had been kicked, and 1 thought I would like to have sweet revenge.” She was fined 10s.

Janies Jeffreys (20), student, was fined 10s, for using insulting words, and 40s for obstructing the police. A constable said that he was trying to disperse a hostile crowd round a man who was bleeding from a wound in the bead. Jeffreys, who appeared to have adopted the role of leader, shouted: “Down with these dirty Blackshirts. Bet us get together. Come on, comrades, gather round.” Jeffreys said that he asked the policeman why he did not do his duty and stop the obvious “ beating up ” that was going on before his eyes. The Magistrate: What “beating up ” was going on before yonr eyes? —Fascists were hitting people about the head with fists and weapons, and were twisting their amis and forcing them out of the gate of Olympia. Jack ’ Carson, _ twenty-nine* shopkeeper, and 'William Howard, twentysix, printer, were charged with using insulting avoids find obstructing the police. Howard was also charged with damaging a police officer’s mackintosh, inspector Mortimer said that Carson

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was either lifted or climbed on to some, exit gates at Olympia, through which a man had been ejected. Carson, broke away from one police officer before he was arrested. Howard, who was shouting to the crowd, tore the officer’s ‘mackintosh. Carson, who said he had a conscientious objection to taking the oath, was allowed to affirm. He said that five Blackshirts assaulted and violently threw a young man down some steps. His wife held the Blackshirt while he held another. The doors were closed, and his wife’s arm ivas trapped. He tried to open the door, but did not climb on top of it. A Blackshirt kicked his wife on the stomach, breast, and chin.

Alfred Murray, who was with Carson, said: “ We ' were all protesting against Mosley and his Blackshirts.” The magistrate fined Carson 20s for using insulting words and behaviour; ■and £3 for obstructing the police. He fined Howard 20s for using insulting words and behaviour.; 20s for obstructing the police, and ordered him to pay Tos, the'value of the damaged property, tie added: “ It may be that altogether excessive and indefensible violence was used in ejecting people from Olympia. I do not know. It may well be that you may have witnessed something that roused your sympathy and your indignation. But you should know that it is quite impossible to allow individuals to take the law into their own hands.” BLACKSHIRT VIOLENCE SIR 0. MOSLEY’S DEFENCE. Sir Oswald Mosley delivered a surprise broadcast in defence of the action of Blackshirt stewards at the . Olympia meeting, and answered critics who, had complained of the methods employed; Sir Oswald Mosley said that’ the peopje in the hall certainly wanted to listen to him, for nearly all of them had paid for their seats. The Socialists were determined that they should not hear the speech, and that the meeting should be broken up. “ We have very definite proofs of this. For over three weeks certain Communist and Socialist papers have published incitements to their readers to attack this meeting. The result was that a large Red mob gathered outside the hall for the purpose of intimidating those who entered, ami very many of

the audience were in fact jostled before they managed to enter the meeting at all.”

Ho referred to “ highly • organised groups of Reds ” who tried at intervals to shout down the speech. This went on for an hour and. a-quarter until they were all thrown out. “I was able then to speak in perfect order to the large audience which had remained. Our opponents accuse us of deliberate brutality in throwing out the Reds. Such lies and deliberate lies are brought by our opponents who fear Fascism, but cannot answer the case in fair debate.” i Sir Oswald added: ‘‘Not only were our male Blackshirts kicked in the stomach and 'slashed with razors, but our women Fascists were terribly assaulted, and have been treated for nasty cuts and other injuries. They captured from the Reds a collection of vile weapons, which included knuckledusters covered with spikes, stockings filled with broken glass to swing against the face—a new form of weapon —irofi spikes and bludgeons, and that favourite weapon of Red hooliganism —the razor. “ Now 1 put it to you and your sense of fair play? Would you have handled these Reds more gently_ when you had seen your men kicked in the stomach and your women with their faces streaming with blood? And, in conclusion, may I ask you what you would think of us if we marched to a Conservative or Socialist meeting to break it up with organised violence?” CASE AGAINST FASCISTS. Mr Gerald Barry then spoke. He said that he went to Olympia , as an ordinary member of the public out of interest and curiosity like thousands of others. He was present in the building from about 8.15 to 10.40, arid during that time witnessed repeated scenes of disorder, which lagan in every case by some member of the audience rising in his seat anil' shouting words of .protest. What they said was inaudible to him in many cases. Immediately Blackshirts—and there were thousands present-ywould go over to the interrupters, seize them, and take them struggling from the auditorium. As the evening wore oh niore and more severe measures were taken in dealing with interrupters, as Sir Oswald Mosley himself said would happen. ‘‘ln my opinion the force used in ejecting people was much more than was required to get them out. . , -

In no case did the violence originate with members of the audience. “ The use of force did not end with .the ejection of the interrupters, frojn the auditorium. They were taken into another part of the hall, and it was here, out of the view of the audience, \ that the worst cases took place. .1 was curious to see what happened to these people when they disappeared from the arena, so. I followed them out. I saw a man lying,on the floor helpless, being kicked and violently handled by eight or ten Blackshirts. TJiere were %o police present inside the. building, and the hall was entirely policed by Blackshirts.”

Mr Geoffrey Lloyd, M.P.. parliamein tary private secretary to Mr Baldwin, in a statement to ‘ The Times ’ said: “ Having ‘ heard reports that FascistiT were over-severe in Their behaviour to interruptoes at their metings, I went to Sir Oswald Mosley’s meeting at Olympia. Ah a Unionist member of Parliament it will be realised that I am not very sympathetic to Communists who try to break up meetings, but I am bound to-say that I was appalled by the brutal conduct of the Fascists last night. « “ I saw ease after case of single interrupters being attacked by ten t« twenty Fascists. Again.and again, a* five or six Fascists carried out an interrupter by arms and legs, several other Blackshirts were engaged in hitting and kicking Jus helpless body. Indeed, after thinking the matter over carefully, I do not .think I swa single heckler ejected from the meeting in a decent and .orderly way. On the other hand, I saw several respectable-looking ' who merely rose in their places and made no'struggle, treated with .the unmerciful brutality that ] have described: It was a deeply shocking scene for an Englishman to see in Lqhdon. The Blackshirts behaved lik* bullies and cads. "

“ For Sir Oswald Mosley to talk of any threat to free speech at Olympia last night is sheer humbug., His tactics were calculated to exaggerate the effect pf the most trivial interruptions ami to jirovide ah apparent excuse for the violence of. the Blackshirts,” .