FURTHER RIOTING

Southland Times, Issue 21854, 3 November 1932, Page 5

FURTHER RIOTING

LONDON UNEMPLOYED DISORDER IN TRAFALGAR SQUARE ARREST OF LEADER (United Press Assn.—Telegraph Copyright.) London, November 1. Orderliness characterized the outset of to-night’s “hunger marches,” but the hooligans gave trouble later, the stdrm centre being Trafalgar Square. Processions started from Clerkenwell Green and. elsewhere with the intention of presenting a petition with a million signatures to tne House of Commons. Mounted and foot police controlled operations. An official stenographer noted speeches on the platforms at Clerkenwell Green. Tributary processions joined the main stream, while hundreds of sightseers waited outside the House of Commons, the approaches to which were blocked by police and mounted men thinning out the crowd as required. Sporadic skirmishes and arrests occurred at the Embankment, Charing Cross, and the Cenotaph where wreaths were trampled on. Windows were smashed in Whitehall, the Strand, and Villiers street. Bottles and stones were thrown in Trafalgar Square, where the tube station was closed. Eventually mounted and foot police, wielding batons and staves, cleared the Square in a concerted charge, the fugitives leaving dozens of hats and caps behind. Hooligans damaged and attempted to set fire to motor cars on the Embankment after expelling the drivers. They also dragged destination boards off trams, but traffic was almost uninterruptedly maintained everywhere. No police were injured. Four marchers representing London unemployed abandoned Hannington’s organization and waited on Mr G. Lansbury and Sir Stafford Cripps in the House of Commons and urged the abolition of the “means test.” Twenty detectives raided the headquarters, examined documents, and arrested the leader, Hannington, on charges arising out of Sunday night’s demonstration. He intended leading the marches on Westminster to-night. Hannington appeared at Bow Street, where he was charged with attempting to cause disaffection among the police. The prosecution alleged that Hannington had described the special constables as “black legs” who were ready to take the policemen’s jobs. He referred to the cuts in pay of the sailors, soldiers and the police and urged all workers, in or out of uniform, to stand together. Accused was remanded, bail being refused.

During the discussion in the House of Commons a man in the public gallery shouted: “Abolish the means test. In the name of the millions of unemployed I demand that the workers be received.” Attendants rushed at the man who while being removed shouted: “Release Hannington.” The scene lasted only a minute.

THEATRE CROWDS POLICE PROTECTION NECESSARY. (Rec. 7 p.m.) London, November 2. The police protected and shepherded crowds leaving the theatres last night. In one case men and women wearing evening dress were surrounded and threatened and abused by demonstrators who were speedily dispersed. AU was quiet at midnight and the police were withdrawn. About 50 arrests were made. One policeman was injured through being kicked, and taken to hospital.

GOOD BEHAVIOUR THE GENUINE UNEMPLOYED. HOOLIGANS CAUSE TROUBLE. (British Official Wireless.) (Rec. 5.5 p.m.) Rugby, November. 1. Unemployed marchers numbering about 2000 who came to London from different parts of the country last week are being provided with food and shelter by public authorities. Sir Cyril Cobb, chairman of the London County Council Public Assistance Committee, testified to their, good behaviour in the institutions where they had been lodged and the authorities also agree that they conducted themselves in an orderly fashion during the demonstration. In accordance with the usual custom they had been given permission to hold meetings in Hyde Park and Trafalgar Square, and the minor disturbances attending those gatherings were without doubt caused by local hooligans who used the presence of unwieldly crowds to provoke trouble. It is understood that the marchers on completing their programme of demonstrations will in the next few days return by train to their homes. The general impression is that they have been misled into a pointless effort by a few hotheads. While the widest public sympathy is felt for genuina unemployed, some criticism has bra - levelled at the- authorities for allowing too much latitude to the demonstrations, which only served to obstruct London traffic on two occasions.