UNRULY DEMONSTRATORS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 21257, 11 February 1931, Page 6

UNRULY DEMONSTRATORS

PARADE OF UNEMPLOYED. BARRAGE OF BRICKS AND STONES. POLICE RETALIATE WITH BATONS. (Per United Press Association.) AUCKLAND, February 10. Amid flying bricks the Auckland police used their batons at noon to-day to quell a serious disturbance which occurred near the Chief Post Office. Four arrests were made. Two police sergeants were injured, one being knocked down and kicked and the other hit on the temple by a flying brick. '' A parade of unemployed was dispersing in front of the General Post Office. A large crowd had gathered and was blocking the thoroughfare. There were present several members of the Police Force, and with startling suddenness' blows were exchanged between the demonstrators and a man,in unifonn. This was the signal for a rush by a number of men, and an officer was assaulted when he was tackling a civilian,. presumably a member of the unemployed. Angry shouts came from several spectators and had the effect of inciting other men amongst the demonstrators to come to blows with the police. Batons were at once drawn and used vigorously by the police and a number of the men were seen to hold their heads. Two or three were taken into custody after fierce struggles, and for a short time there was nothing to be heard but the booing and shouts of “Go for them ” from the spectators who were distance from the actual scene of the fighting.

The situation again became quiet and the police were moving away with the arrested men when suddenly from the, right-of-way leading to the old station a fusillade of' bricks and stones was ntrained on the direction of the police.Several constables had their knocked off, while another was seen to suffer a severe blow near the kidneys. This, was the signal for a really ngly scene, and while the policemen rushed with their batons at the assailants, laying about-them with much vigour, they continued to be targets for a barrage of stones from their assailants hidden by the large crowd of spectators. At this stage heavy reinforcements of police arrived and the situation soon became normal.

The Labour Bureau behind - the Post Office was bombarded with 'bricks, windows being shattered. During the height of the riot many of the demonstrators resorted to extremely dangerous and thoughtless tactics, and the fact that several innocent parties were not injured was for--tunate, as missiles, mostly bricks and large were hurled aimles.sly and indiscriminately in the direction of thepolice. Very ugly temper was displayed by many of those present throughout the fracas. One squad of police in charge of senior officers began to sweep along the footpath in front of the post office in an endeavour to drive the crowd back, but their numbers were insufficient to clear the locality. The temper of some: of the men in the crowd was decidedly ugly. Fxcitement was running high, and there were fears of another clash on a much bigger scale. ’ According to a police officer the men were gathered round the newly-estab-' lished unemployment bureau at the old ■railway station,- and ■ when-' advised to move on they refused to do so. The, cry went up: “Come on, let us break, the windows.” Sergeant Clist called on those who made, this suggestion to stop,and was promptly rushed. In the general scuffle that ensued the sergeant was knocked to the, ground and kicked in the tussle, in which a number of other policemen became engaged with batons unleashed. Sergeant Miller was struck by a flying brick. There were about half a dozen employees of the Auckland Labour Department in the bureau when the incident occurred, and they were shdwered with bricks. Prac-_ tically every" window in the : bureau, which had been shifted to new quarters only, this morning, was broken, and records, inkwells, and .other office paraphernalia were scattered on the floor by the bombardment. The officials dived, under tables for protection, and. all escaped without injury except G. W v . Coppell, who received slight cuts on the head.