Police Use Batons To Stop March In Brisbane

Greymouth Evening Star, 16 March 1948, Page 6

Police Use Batons To Stop March In Brisbane

BRISBANE, March Is. A march which was broken up by the Brisbane police with ba ons is reported to have been a well-planned attempt to anti-picketing law recently passed by the Queensland t It was led by Mr Michael Healy, secretary.of the Trades and tab f'niincil and Mr G C. Englart, State secretary of the Watersia Worker’s' Federation, both of whose names had been taken previous y by the police because of demonstrations outside the Shell uompai y oil depots.

Today a‘smaller force of police than on previous days waited outside the depots, but reinforcements were soon rushed up. A hundred pickets, led by Mr Healy and Mr Englart, massea nearby and marched towards a depot bearing Communistic slogans. On being warned by the police, Mr Healy said that the men were not picketing but were holding a political demonstration. After passing the depot, tne men turned and moved towards the city, being joined on the way by others who emerged from side streets until they were 400 strong. Running Battle Police reinforcements . met the strikers on a main shopping corner at Fortitude Valley, where a determined attempt was made to seize all the banners and placards. A funning battle ensued as -.he strikers broke through the police cordon and the police raced down Wickham street to intercept them. One heavily built striker stood, on a placard as the police tried to pick it up. Others closed with the police and still others, when approached, tossed the placards they were carrying to the men behind.

Thirteen men, including a barnstei , union secretaries, watersiders, anq railwaymen, appeared inthe roi Court today charged with brea of the new anti-picketing laws, cases were adjourned. Among th os charged was a Communist barns e , Max Julius, who appeared for some of the defendants, and was himself represented by Mr F. a Communist member of the State Parliament. One-day Strike Abandoned Meanwhile, a 24-hour stoppage, which the Queensland railway oisputes committee had hoped would take place throughout Australia next Wednesday, as' a protest against the anti-picketing legislation ot the Hanlon Government, has been abandoned even in Queensland. The combined executives of the Queensland Trades and Labour Council and the central disputes committee decided this today, because the employers had applied for permission to stand down workers. The State Industrial Court will deal tomorrow with applications by Queensland employers’ organisations for permission to stand down workers made idle by the strike.