All Quiet Over Week-end

Manawatu Times, Volume LV, Issue 6836, 18 April 1932, Page 7

All Quiet Over Week-end

HOSTILE DEMONSTRATION WHEN POLICE APPEAR, Per Press Association. AUCKLAND, Last Night. Auckland is all quiet this evening, no serious disturbances iiaving occurred since Friday night, although over the week-end the streets have been well iillcd with people, mostly sight-scers, gathering to see if any thing should happen. While no incidents comparable to tho disturbances' in the city and Newton on Thursday and Friday nights took place last night the congregation of a largo number of people at the top of Symonds street provided an opportunity for an outbreak, but by their tactful handling of the crowd the police were able to disperse them about halfpast ten. When the crowd was thinning out a window in a shop was broken by a stone-thrower, but the offender was quickly apprehended and nothing further came of the incident. During the evening groups of men with a fair sprinkling of women gathered on the footpaths near the top of Symonds street, most of them being obviously sight-scers. For no apparent reason the crowd slowly increased until by nino o’clock there were probab*y two thousand people in the vicinity. Small parties of uniformed police mingled with the crowd, but. the special police were not in evidence. For the most part tho crowd was in a goodnatured mood and appeared to be waiting for something to happen.

As an appeal to the crowd to disperse had no effect a detachment of mounted constabulary was called up and although they merely rode up one side of Symonds street and down the other their presence had a sobering effect and by 10.30 p.m. the area had resumed its normal appearance. As soon as the theatre crowds had passed through the locality the extra police were withdrawn.

Tho authorities have been thoroughly organised to meet any emergency in all parts of the city and suburbs. Last rdght strong patrols operated but there wero no incidents in Queen street oi tho suburbs.

A crowd of about 1000 gathered at the entrances to the Domain this afternoon. The entrances were guarded by the police, the proposed meeting of unemployed having been banned by the authorities. After about half an hour Messrs. J. A. Leo and A. S. Richards, M’s.P., walked through the crowd and proceeded in the direction of the outer Domain. They were followed by the crowd and on arrival in the outer Domain were greeted by cheers by a few hundred there. The members of Parliament persuaded tho crowd to sit down and sing songs, but on tho approach of a posse of twenty police there was a hostile demonstration. Mr. Lee appealed to the crowd to be orderly and go home. Mrs. Lee accompanied her husband. The crowd gradually dispersed without incident.