THE BRISBANE RIOTS

Otago Witness, Issue 3398, 30 April 1919, Page 19

THE BRISBANE RIOTS

RETURNED SOLDIERS VERSUS BOLSHEVISTS. CONSIDERABLE BLOODSHED. EXTREMIST GOVERNMENT HELD BLAMEWORTHY. In these days, when the reaction of the war tends to drive the masses towards turbulence and revolution, strong government is absolutely essential (says our Sydney correspondent). The riots whih have occurred in Brisbane afford a good illustration of what may happen under a -'weak Government or cue without a proper sense of its responsibilities. A gathering of extremists on Sunday, March 23, decided to march in procession to the Domain, and there protest against the continued operation of trie War Precautions Act, which, they hold, restricts their liberty. They appeared carrying red flags, which is forbidden by Federal law. The police forbade the red flags, and all except a body of Russians, who are extremists and fanatjes of a dangerous type, put them away. The Russians refused, and fought off the police, who charged them repeatedly as they marched up the main street. They were strongly reinforced byr the hoodlum element, and got to the Domain and held their meeting. In the evening the returned soldiers gathered, furious at' this deliberate defiance of law and order by the Bolshevists, and marched to the Russian headquarters in South Brisbane. Shots were fired at them as they approached, and investigation showed that sixty or seventy armed Russians were awaiting them in/ the street oustido the house. The soldiers were persuaded to go away. The next evening (Monday) they came back in large numbers, had a fierce encounter with the police who tried to stop them, arid severely damaged the Russian house, together with other buildings suspected of harbouring Russians. They threatened that if these extremists were not firmly dealt with by the Government they would take the law into their own hands.

The police available were completely inadequate to deal with the situation as it developed on Sunday afternoon. There were only four or five foot constables at first, and when they attempted to take the red flags from the Russians by main force they were set upon by the fanatics and overpowered. Then, as the latter began to march up Queen street, four mounted policemen appeared, and hurled themselves upon the Russians. The latter retaliated by striking the troopers and'' their horses with the flag poles, with great force, and the police were repulsed. Still, they stuck to their work The troopers attacked the head of the procession—the Russians—again and again, while the foot police tried to break up the mob that was following behind. Stones were used upon the horses. The Bolshevists Avore strongly reinforced presently, and the position of the police was hopeless. The extremists were delighted with their success, and sang the I.W.W. song "Solidarity" and "If Ever I be a "Soldier," which jeers at the man who donned khaki.

The police did not use their weapons, and the processionists, very excited and ready for anything, arrived at tho Domain. The police then abandoned their attempt to interfere, and tho Bolshevists held their meeting, at which the usual kind of resolution was carried. A soldier in the crowd remarked loudly, "It's fine to see Australia in the hands of the Russians, the men who deserted us when we were on the western front." This invalid was promptly hemmed in by fit men and punched till he bled. A returned man who went to his assistance was also severely injured. The feelings of all decent citizens were outraged by these proceedings, and the soldiers, who had been away and suffered so that their country might be free, were particularly indignant. A demand swept through the community that the stain must b>> wiped off. That evening hundreds. of persons collected at a certain spot on North quay, where the Russian Bolshevists were accustomed to hold forth, and the soldiers wore present this time in force. A Russian got on to a platform and began to talk. The soldiers promptly tipped him off and threw the platform into the river. "Lot's clear this scum out of Brisbane," cried tho soldiers. They chased and caught the v/ould-be orator and wanted to throw him into tho river, too, but tho police intervened and escorted the unhappy Bolshevist to safety. Then, the meeting being definitely over, the soldiers formed up and marched for the headquarters of the Russian Club, in South Brisbane. Revolver shots were fired at them when they were 100 yards distant, apparently from- within tho house. The soldiers stopped and discussed tho matter. Some wanted to rush the place —others thought they should go to the barracks and secure arms. Police pushed forward and investigated. They found, in a lane beside the house, a large number of Russians congregated, armed with revolvers and pearifies. They said: " We are prepared to defend our property, and will shoot anyone who enters." Tho police carried the information to the toldicrs and earnestly advised them to disperse. The. soldiers did so, but they said they would come back again

i.cxt'evening "to ascertain who owns Australia, Australians or Bolshevists." Brisbane, on Monday, when the facts were known, seethed with indignation, and the word was passed around among the returned soldiers to gather that evening and "rid the town of the scum." By 7 o'clock thousands of people had congregated in the vicinity of the bridge, on North Quay, and the soldiers proceeded to hold a meeting. Trainloads of police, armed with rifles, went past, bound for the Russian premises in South Brisbane, and the crowd jeered unmercifully. "Wo are here to clear out of Queensland all dirty Russian mongrels, and those who side with them, no matter where they belong," declared the soldiers' spokesman. "They were too good for you yesterday, anyhow," cried a man. A soldier felled him. : He got up, and was knocked down again, and this time severely kicked. The furious crowd seized him and started for the river with him, but he was rescued by the police and hurried away. The meeting carried an appropriate resolution, calling" upon the Government to take action, and a huge Australian flag was unfurled amid cheers. By this time, although the soldiers' leaders tried to stop it, there was a distinct drift across the bridge towards the Russian headquarters. The crowd was out for blood. Before long, the various elements were in one compact procession, marching for Mcrivale street, headed by soldiers and singing patriotic songs. The police had been thrown across Merivalo street in solid lines, 50 yards apart, the Russian premises between them. The police were armed with rifles and bayonets. Tho soldiers, coming up against the cold steel, paused. They had no quarrel with the police, they said, but they insisted on getting through to "down the .Bolshevist scum." They argued with the police, threatened and cajoled them, but the line of glittering bayonets never wavered. The crowd grew, until many thousands were packed into < the narrow thoroughfares, and every minute it was more menacing. Police officials, completely hemmed in, searched the houses frantically for a telephone wherewith to call reinforcements.

Suddenly half a dozen mounted police spurred through the crowd, which buzzed angrily, and .surged towards the _ bayonet lino. At the same moment the Police Commissioner and a police magistrate appeared in front, evidently with a view to arguing with the soldiers. They were picked up in an eddy ofl the crowd, and thrown back against the line-of bayonets. The commissioner was severely wounded in the shoulder and the other man less severely in the groin. Revolver shots sounded here and there, and a trooper's hogse, suddenly unmanageable, wen b plunging madly down th* street. It had received 'a bullet. The position rapidly became worse. Showers of stones fell upon the imperturbable police, and many were attacked with palings from fences. Soon there- was- not a policeman who "was uninjured. More soldiers arrived, and a sudden wild noiso at the other end of the_ street showed that the scene of the main attack had shifted. The police rushed reinforcements across", but the crowd here found the Russian house within ,easy range, and showers 6f .missiles! fell upon it, breaking every window and causing much damage. The soldiers redoubled their efforts to get in. Then the police offered to let two men through to see that there was no one there. Two - men came back and reported. Other deputations went in, and all found the houses deserted. Gradually the crowd melted away. The soldiers went back to the main street, and sang patriotic songs. , But maddened crowds, all that night, Visited various premises thought to belong to Russians and damaged them, and chased the owners and thrashed them when they could catch them; and the police for hours were "on the jump." Brisbane was thoroughly aroused, and made it quite clear to all, and particularly to the weak Government, the friend of the extremist and fanatic, that further Bolshevism would not be tolerated.

There are some thousands of Russians in Queensland, most of them of an undesirable class, and the Federal authorities have now decided that most of them shall be deported.