SYDNEY BATTLE

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVII, Issue 23545, 4 January 1940, Page 11

SYDNEY BATTLE

BED FLAG BURNED SOLDIERS AND COMMUNISTS FIERCE MELEE IN DOMAIN [ritOM OUR OWN correspondent] SYDNEY, Dec. 27 A fierce melee between soldiers of the Second A.1.F., Communists and police disturbed the calm usually associated with Sunday afternoons in the Domain, Sydney's great open space where speakers arc allowed free rein to the spoken word. The soldiers had rushed a Communist speaker's platform, torn down a red flag, ripped it to pieces, and burned it. The disturbance took place among a crowd of more than 1000. A warrantofficers sleeve was slashed with a razor, and one Communist speaker was pelted with tomatoes. The soldiers claimed that a woman speaker had called them ''five bob a day murderers." About 30 soldiers rushed the platform. People were pushed aside aud others run for safety. When the soldiers reached the police cordon, there was a wild struggle to keep them from reaching the platform. Several of the soldiers seized a red flag, bearing a white hammer and sickle, from the platform. This was the signal for wild cheering, accompanied by a counter demonstration from Communist sympathisers. As the flag was seized, police forced their way to the soldiers, and in the confused struggle that followed many persons were knocked down. Ihe soldiers maintained their hold on the flag. When they reached the outskirts of the crowd they again sang the National Anthem and patriotic songs. About 10 of them tore the flag to pieces, which were set alight and held in the air, amid loud cheering. Meeting Closed As the disturbance grew, crowds flocked toward the platform until die crowd numbered about 2000. ihe soldiers' numerical strength increased to 200. They and their sympathisers made fresh charges toward the platform. Several of the charges were led by a young woman waving a long black stick. The Communists refused to abandon their meeting, and some of their statements brought the soldiers again charging against them. Police had to drive at least 150 soldiers from the platform. There were other sporadic outbursts of fighting as the afternoon passed. Finally, police ordered the speakers to close the meeting, and forced their way into • quarrelling groups, saying: "Timo is up, gentlemen. You've had enough for one day. Go home quietly." At dusk, the last of the crowd dispersed.