A SENSATIONAL CLASH

Otago Daily Times, Issue 21366, 20 June 1931, Page 11

A SENSATIONAL CLASH

POLICE AND COMMUNISTS EVICTION OF HOUSE TENANT CASUALTIES ON BOTH SIDES (United Press Association.) (By Electric Telegraph—Copyright.) MELBOURNE, June 19. (Received June 19, at 9 p.m.) Another sensational clash between antievictionists and the police took place at noon at Newtown, a suburb. The police on this occasion made greater use of their revolvers and fired 15 shots before raiding a semi-detached two-storeyed house. Fourteen anti-evictionists and eight of the 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 and many'-of them addressed the crowd prior to the police raid and urged the workers to fall in behind them and fight the police, who regarded it as a challenge and as open defiance of the law.

With surprising suddenness the police arrived in a motor bus. Their arrival was heralded by shouts and volleys ot stones, and the men on an upstairs balcony maintained a fusillade, whereupon the inspector of police commanded his men to draw their revolvers and fire. Immediately there was a succession of shots and the balcony defenders disappeared inside. The police battered down the doors and wore met by a shower ’o! stones and half-bricks. The wonder is that they escaped with their lives. The battle inside raged for 20 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 they were constantly ducking to avoid flying stones. Hooting by the onlookers was never allowed to subside.

The police eventually emerged with a number of bedraggled, blood-stained defenders handcuffed together, who were marched to a police wagon. They received medical treatment at the gaol hospital before being locked up and charged. The injured police were treated at the police hospital. EIGHTEEN MEN ARRESTED. SYDNEY, June 19. (Received June 19, at 10 p.m.) The police must have dealt more severely with the Newtown antievictionists to-day, as four of them are suffering from concussion and extensive cuts, which were probalfly caused by batons. The police shots were aimed more to frighten than to injure. The bullets shattered the woodwork of the balcony, and one man was shot in the arm. Eighteen arrests were made. One of the police suffered a fractured hand. The Attorney-general (Mr J. Lamaro) announced that the Government was introducing legislation to protect tenants eviction in certain instances, which, it was hoped, would minimise eviction disturbances.