RIOTOUS SCENES

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XXII, Issue 269, 28 October 1932, Page 7

RIOTOUS SCENES

“HUNGER-MARCHERS” IN LONDON DEMONSTRATION OUTSIDE HYDE PARK. MOUNTED POLICE MAKE CHAEG* (United Press Association—By CableCopyright.) London, October 27. Though 20,000 within Hyde Park gave little trouble, riotous scenes marked a conflict between the police and thousands of sympathisers with the hunger marchers, around Marble Arch before the mass meeting began. An arrest outside the Park incited thousands to surge forward, who snarled and hooted as a van removed the prisoner. Twelve mounted police char*, ed with staves, while twenty chased the demonstrators into by-streets. Several were arrested. Drapery shop windows were smashed, but shuttering prevented looting. Other disturbances were quelled, but as home-going vehicles swelled the traffic the roadways became chaotic. The police cleared a passage and made further arrests/ while the crowd threw mud at stationary police cars. Mounted police dispersed a thousand men threatening special whom the crowd resented as “blacklegs.” Other demonstrators boarded lorries, snatched mops and pipes with which they were laden, and menaced mounted constables. Some waving red flags shouted: “To hell with the National Government!” The police galloped up and down Rotten Row, quelling disturbances. Further arrests were made before th# processions broke up. Eight civilians and fonr police were sent to hospital. Ten thousand unemployed demonstrated against the means test at Glasgow. The police prevented trouble, aq with similar displays at Birmingham and Manchester. NUMBER OF UGLY EPIBODBB (Received 28, 1.20 pjn.) London, October K, About 15,000 unemployed, indndiaf hunger-marchers, gathered at Hyde Park, causing disorganisation of traffic in West End streets for several hours. The meeting concentrated at six platforms, widely separated. Mr Haklatwala and Mr Tom Mann were among the speakers. The most serious trouble occurred at the Marble Arch, where Lord Trenchard had stationed parties of special eonstables. The marchers, angry at their presence, began a threatening rush towards the specials. There were a number of ugly episodes, resulting in N being injured in the clashes between police and unemployed, including a policeman who wag seriously injured by, a bar of iron. In other cases the rioters broke windows in Oxford Street shops, using building bricks and lumps from an overturned coal cart. Apart from a few broken heads, the worst result was that it frightened women shoppers, who unexpectedly found themselves invtflved in a riot in which mounted police had to clear the streets by walking their horses on the pavements. A number of innocent people were knocked down, necessitating ambulances. Inside the park further trouble developed in Rotten Bow, where a party of angry Communists seized handfuls of mud and gravel and flung them at mounted police. The latter drew their batons and dispersed them. By 5.15 all the columns of hunger, strikers had left the park and mareled to the suburbs, where they were billeted in the houses of sympathisers, many obviously suffering extreme fatigue. The leaders tried to cheer them by singing songs.