ANGRY BERLIN JEWS STORM CINEMA: WITHDRAWAL OF "OLIVER TWIST" FORCED

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXXVI, Issue 22877, 22 February 1949, Page 7

ANGRY BERLIN JEWS STORM CINEMA: WITHDRAWAL OF "OLIVER TWIST" FORCED

(N.Z.P.A. —Reuter—Copyright.) (11,15 a.m.) BERLIN, Feb. 21. Because-mobs of angry Jews rioted and twice attacked and damaged a Berlin theatre showing the British film, “Oliver Twist,” the cinema manager has withdrawn the film from exhibition.

The British authorities had refused: to ban the showing of the film despite protests from the Jews in Berlin that it was anti-Semitic and the signing of a petition by German politicians asking that the film be withdrawn. The Lord Mayor, Dr. Reuter, who

signed the petition, said the film threatened to re-arouse German anti-Semitism and harked of Nazi propaganda. Battered Way In.

Yesterday a crowd of Polish Jews took matters into their own bands and burst into the cinema where the film was shown. The cinema sects were broken and several people injured before British military police and West sector German police made several arrests and restored order. When Oliver Twist was screened again today, nr. angry mob of 5000 Jews gathered outside the theatre and fought with the police. The police used fire hoses and clubs in an attempt to hold back tire demonstrators, but without much success.

British public safety officers then intervened and ordered patrons from the theatre. The mob tore down signs outside the cinema, smashed the window of a police radio car, hurled rocks and finally used heavy stones to break down the side door of the theatre and force their way inside, but by this time the audience had dispersed. The company manager said that if they could get the British military police protection they would attempt to screen Oliver Twist again, but the manager, in announcing the withdrawal of the film, said the British Military Government did not intervene.