UNEMPLOYED DAY

Manawatu Standard, Volume L, Issue 86, 8 March 1930, Page 9

UNEMPLOYED DAY

“RED THURSDAY’ A FIASCO. COMMUNISTS IN EUROPE. BROKEN HEADS SUFFERED. (United Press Association —By Electric Telegraph—Copyright). LONDON, March G. ■ "Red Thursday,” which was organised throughout the world by Communists as an international unemployed day, appears to have achieved nothing beyond several broken heads. The whole thing was a fiasco. London’s storm centre was Tower Hill, where some 500 gathered. When it was announced that the Lord Mayor had refused to receive a deputation, a section attempted to rush in the direction of the Mansion House. They came up against a body of mounted police. There was a general melee, in which five people were slightly injured. They finally reassembled at Tower Hill, where Tom Mann flamboyantly spoke of “cowards and incompetents in tho Labour Government.” At Glasgow two hundred made a procession to the City Chambers. Two were arrested when attempting to make a speech, and two others who attempted to rescue the speechmakers were also taken into custody, after which the remainder broke up into groups and discussed their grievances. At Manchester the police broke up a demonstration, and five were arrested. Those arrested were later fined forty shillings each. Reports from all European centres reveal similar episodes. In Paris the police were so strongly reinforced that demonstrations were impossible. To give an idea of their watchfulness, three persons sticking bills were arrested. In Berlin, police with rubber truncheons rapidly dispersed 2000 who had assembled in the centre of the city and began stoning the police. The police used revolvers, killing two. In Warsaw, a handful tried in vain to scir up a crowd of unemployed, but were arrested before they were successful. in Vienna, seven were arrested when they attempted to break a police cordon. A procession ot IoOU demonstrators was jeered. Rioting and demonstrations occurred at Cleveland, Buffalo, Milwaukee, Seattle, Oakland and Toronto. In all these there was fighting between the police and demonstrators. Reports from Newhaven, Connecticut, indicate that the rioting there was attended by considerable fighting, and that several persons were injured, the police dispelling tne rioters. Some fear was felt that the demonstrators might attack the City Hall, which was locked against invasion. In Chicago, the observation of international unemployment day was held without disorder of any kind. It opened with a parade of 4000 people, who quietly moved through the streets without any attempt to proceed to the City Hall. New York, with 50,000 celebrants, and Detroit, with 75,000, had the most important demonstrations, which, on the whole, were not considered serious. Police with tear gas bombs broke up an “unemployment day” demonstration before White House, Washington, and arrested a dozen persons. Several men were injured in a miniature riot, which was abruptly suppressed. Riot calls followed outbreaks in Philadelphia, Boston. Pittsburgh and Detroit, where numerous arrests were made. Several fights occurred,- and less violent demonstrations took place throughout tho country.