ARMISTICE DAY

Hokitika Guardian, 7 January 1933, Page 7

ARMISTICE DAY

BREAKING THE SILENCE

LONDON, December 17.

Breaking the silence, especially in has become a serious offence, and woe betide the man who defies piioiio op.moii. As icual to-day, there were a numbe r of people who were foolish enough to offend, and they promptly suffered.

A motorist who left his engine running during the silence wa s ■severely handled by crowds outside St. Clement Dane’s Church, 'Strand. People tried to pull him out„pf ; his cAr. He drove away under police, protection—iwith one of big tyres, punctured.

Just before the silence a Communist started to shout “What about the means tost?” outside !St. Martm’s-ie-Grand. Post Office men very quickly made him be quiet. A man who tried to cross Euston road, near Tottenham Court road, during the silence, was ,Topped by an ex-service man, who knocked his hat oil and made him stand still.

Interrupters tried, and failed, to start “The Red' Flag” during the service outside Brixton Town Hall. Th? crowd ignored them. An angry crowd set upon, a man who walked along New Kent road, near Elephant and Castle, during the silence. A man with a dog who went on walking at Marble Arch during the silence was mobbed by the crowd. OXFORD COMMUNISTS.

Members of the October Club, the Oxford University Communist S°c’ety, who tried to demonstrate at the service round the Oxford War Memorial, were .stopped by the menacing attitude of the crowd, which hissed and jeered them.

During the silence at Marylebone Labour Exchange a few me n began to sing the “Internationale.” One of them produced a red flag from under his coat. Ex-servicemen stood quietly with their caps in their hands until the end of the silence. Immediately the maroon sounded there was a scrimmage. The Communists'were rushed out of the mews behind the Labour Exchange towards.the.Edgeware road, and the red flag was torn to bits.. Three Communists attempted to incite a crowd of unemployed in Bigg Market Newcastle. They were taken away in a police van.