EVICTION FIGHT

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXIV, 20 June 1931, Page 7

EVICTION FIGHT

SENSATIONAL CLASH IN SYDNEY SUBURB

POLICE USE BATONS AND REVOLVERS COMMUNIST INCITEMENT , (United Press Association—By Electric Telegraph—Copyright) SYDNEY, 19th June. Another sensational clash between anti-evictionists and the police took place at noon at Newtown. The police on this occasion made greater use of revolvers and iirccl fifteen shots before raiding a semi-detached two-storied house. Fourteen anti-evictionists and eight police were injured and a spectator, a man about 40 years of age, dropped dead with excitement while watching the battle. Leading Communists were again associated with the affair. Many of their members addressed the crowd prior to the police raid and uregd the workers to fall in behind them and light the police, who regarded ’ the challenge as open defiance of the law. With surprising suddenness the police arrived in a motor bus. Their arrival was heralded by shouts and volleys of stones. Men oil the upstairs balcony maintained a fusillade, whereupon an inspector of police commanded liis men to draw their revolvers. Immediately there was a succession of shouts and the balcony defenders disappeared inside. The police battered down the doors and were met by a shower of stones and half bricks. The wonder is that they escaped with their lives.

The battle inside raged for twenty minutes, everything breakable being reduced to ruins. Huge stones came hurtling downstairs and missed policemen by inches. A thin cordon of police kept order outside the house, but were constantly ducking to avoid flying stones, the onlookers’ hooting being never allowed to subside.

The police eventually emerged with a number of bedraggled, blood-stained defenders, handcuffed together, who were marched to the waiting police waggon. They received medical treatment at the gaol hospital before being locked up and charged. The injured police were treated at the police hospital.

SEVERELY DEALT WITH ANTI-EVICTIONISTS’ INJURIES SYDNJSY, 10th June. The police must have dealt more severely with the Newtown anti-evic-tionists to-day, as four are suffering from concussion and extensive cuts, probably caused by batons, but tho police shots were aimed more to frighten them than .injure. Bullets shattered the woodwork of the balcony and one man was shot in the arm.

Eighteen arrests were made. The police wounds are mostly superficial. One has a fractured.hand. LEGISLATION AGAINST EVICTION SYDNEY, 19th June. Mr Lamaro, Attorney-General, announced that the Government was introducing legislation’ to protect tenants against eviction in )certain instances, which it was hoped would minimiso eviction disturbances.

FURTHER DISORDERS DAY OF UNEXAMPLED VIOLENCE (Received 20th June, 9.40 a.m.) , SYDNEY. This Day. Yesterday will bo remembered in Sydney as a day of unexampled violence, hollowing the Newtown riot there was a mild demonstration in Railway Square, where shop windows were broken. Even the “Labour Daily” newspaper office suffered.

Altogether 22 arrests were made. Six others are in hospital.

For the first time since the 1927-28 tnzor war the police in the metropolitan area have been doubled.

Disgraceful scenes were witnessed at the Orange relief depot, when a crowd of 500 men and women-rushed the building and helped themselves to a great quantity of food and clothing which was intended for distribution among the poor and needy. At the end of the raid there was not an article left. One woman was knocked clown and trampled on, and pandemonium reigned while the unruly crowd escaped loaded with goods.