SYDNEY DOMAIN RIOT

Taranaki Daily News, 4 February 1930, Page 16

SYDNEY DOMAIN RIOT

COMMUNISTS AT WORK FIRM ACTION BY POLICE. THE “WORKERS’ DEFENCE ARMY.” Sydney, Jan. 23. The coal trouble has brought joy to the hearts of the Communists —'btifc to nobody else. The Communists) have seized'the opportunity to form what they are pleased to call a “worker’s defence army,” the reason for the existence of which is extremely vague, • It has not the slightest prospect of doing anybody any wood, but the idea, probably, is that it might cause the authorities a great deal of trouble. Even that is doubtful, though it has had one small success in that direction. That was last Sunday, when it held a march in defiance of the police, and thia was broken up amid wild scenes which' ended in Sydney’s famous Domain, where most people are wiven the right of free speech on Sunday afternoons. The procession was really organised by a Communist body which has the quaint title of the International Class War Prisoners’ Ai-1 Society. When the 'procession started off from near the central railway station. it was' quickly broken up by the police, who had previously issued a warning that no march would be permitted. In spite of the resulting confusion 300 or 400 men kept on the > move and a little later formed, a wain into semi-military lines. Shoutinw and booing the police, they continued their march, but met another squadron of police, and were sent scattering in all directions. No batons weie drawn by the police. CROWD HEADED BY A BAND. Of course, a big crowd soon- gathered and- altogether about 2000. people must have entered the Domain with the rem-. nants- of the. “army.” The crowd was headed by the.Kurri Kurri Pipc Band;; ■ which was composed ■of out-of-work miners—the same -band...that . led- the.miners’ march on*--that ■ fateful -morningat, Rothbury,, when, a- miner, was. killed in the clash with the police.. In the Domain Senator Rae, a Communist ana a representative of the Labour Party in Australia’s Upper House, stood on the platform, with the Red Flag flying above him. Police were to be seen everywhere and such a remarkable tensity of feeling had not swept even the Domain for many years. Senator Rae took off his coat and rolled up his sleeves. Requested to do so, those nearest the platform became seated on. the grass, those on the out- ( skirts of the crowd standing. Senator Rae, in an impassioned speech, mentioned the breaking of the procession, and he spoke bitterly of the police. “However,” he said, “we are here in wreat numbers and we will be here a<rain.” Funds to assist the “cause” were called for, but sooner or later every speaker turned to attack the police, who are gettinw more than their share of abuse during the present industrial crisis through which the State is passing. “Meet force with force,” someone cried out, and “Turn your guns on those who will turn them on you.” Meanwhile, in another part of the Domain, a” speaker who had incensed the crowd had his stand kicked from under him when he stated that all the mines should be worked by 'volunteer free labour. That-was not the sort of talk that the crowd wanted to hear, and they made that quite plain.. This speaker was Mr. J. O’Brien, who was largely responsible for the breaking of the timber workers’ strike. He organised all the free labour. The position became' very serious for him. He was punched in the mouth and kicked. Finally, he bluffed 3000 infuriated men—and women—and drew a toy pistol for which he had paid one shilling. This “deadly” weapon on ordinary occasions serves no more sinister purpose that, that of holding cigarettes. At the sight of the “pistol” the crowd drew back and Mr. O’Brien was able to make his escape. The police saw to it that he passed out of the Domain without father interference. The “workers’ defence army” in the coalfields, appears to have crumpled under the baton attacks by the police last week. It is said that the movement is by no means dead, but it is also clear that the militants have 'received a severe setback, in that the rank and file of the miners are not anxious to stand up to another, baton attack. The first battalion has had but one drill; other drills were cancelled after it was disco vered\ that the. police meant business. Ever: since the attacks last week the police have had full control of the situation on the coalfields.