GIBRALTAR RIOT

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26198, 8 July 1946, Page 5

GIBRALTAR RIOT

AUSTRALIAN TROOPS BATTLE WITH THE POLICE DISGRACEFUL SCENES (Rec. 11.30 p.m.) LONDON, July 7. The Shropshire’s visit to Gibraltar with the Australian Victory Day contingent will always be sadly remembered throughout Gibraltar, says Reuter’s correspondent. The Whole town is still feeling the effects of their disgraceful behaviour on Friday night, in tne presence of many Spaniards and other foreign visitors. Twenty civilians, including several policemen who were rushed to hospital by ambulance after brutal and savage assaults by Australian servicemen, are still in hospital suffering from serious wounds.

The disturbances apparently began when a party of Australians became violent in local cafes. After having drinks they began throwing glasses and bottles in the air, and later walked out into the street without paying for their drinks and molested pedestrians. Subsequently, they entered the Victoria Hotel, where, owing to their obnoxious behaviour, they were asked to quit the premises, and when they refused the police were summoned, whereupon the Australians, using belts, bottles, glasses, and other missiles, assaulted the police who, in view of their minority, were overpowered. Several civilians went to their assistance, and a free fight during which several Australians were arrested. Several members of the police and civilians were injured. A few minutes later another crowd of Australians, knowing their compatriots had been arrested, raided the police station in an effort to gain entry to the cells to release the prisoners, but the police resisted them, and later, with the help of reinfor'ements, made a baton charge on the Australians and frustrated their attempts at rescue. Several more Australians were arrested and taken by military lorries to the Shropshire.

The disturbances later continued for a couple of hours, and the situation was not brought under control until 30 members of the naval patrol and a whole contingent of military police and all the police off duty turned out. All the windows of the police station were smashed.

The authorities have taken precautions to avoid a repetition of what had never previously been witnessed in Gibraltar, even when more than 40,000 troops were stationed there during the war. The people, chiefly women and children, had to be dispersed when leaving theatres and cinemas as the main street was extremely dangerous when the battle was in full swing. The Commissioner of Police, Captain Dudley Gowing, paid a tribute to the civilians “for their prompt co-opera-tion and the assistance given my men when they were so hard pressed during the unprecedented disturbances." The Shropshire is expected to sail to-day. In the meantime, shore leave has been cancelled. The Australian contingent, which consisted of 250 personnel,. comprised of representatives of the army, navy, and air force and women’s services, left England last Monday on the Shropshire on its return voyage to Australia.