DISORDERLY SCENES

Taranaki Daily News, 21 September 1931, Page 11

DISORDERLY SCENES

FIERCE BATTLE WITH POLICE. ANTI-COMMUNIST MEETING. More than half-a-dozen shrieking, gesticulating women were ejected from a largely-attended anti-Communist demonstration ,held in the Sydney . Town Hall on September 9, after fierce, riotous struggles with the police and others. Three women were placed under arrest. It was when Mrs. S. E. Vickery moved a resolution indicting Communism that tho first interruption, took place. A woman commenced to interject, and was asked by the chairwoman, Miss Preston Stanley, to remain silent. “I am prepared to stand up for my class,” cried the woman, amid deafening boo-hoos. Pandemonium reigned when a constable was asked to remove the woman. A man close by “bagged” her head with his overcoat, from which she extricated herself after a wild struggle. Again he threw his coat over her head. This was the signal for other women to rush to her assistance, and in the matter of seconds there was an all-in fight with hands and handbags. One woman battled fiercely with a constable. The disorderly scene ended with a rally by the police stationed in the hall and the ejectment of two of the women, amid a wild outburst of cheering. The Communist element in the hall again broke into disorder when Mrs. Eleanor Glencross was seconding the motion. Women, as well as the police, engaged in another sharp struggle with interjeetors, who had to be dragged from the hall as they gave frenzied expression to their feelings. It took two constables to eject one enraged woman, with tousled hair and a wild look in her eyes. No sooner was one woman ejected than another was dragged out. Mrs. .Edith Glanville, speaking in support of the motion, was relating.her personal impressions of Russia, when another interjector of bellicoe mien came under the notice of the police. She struggled with a man who first approached her, and then with two constables, at whom she struck out.freely with her handbag. A second or two later another young woman had to be forcibly ejected. Up to this stage six women had been removed. The last of the belligerents was ejected, amid more cheering, when Mrs. Marion Pickett was speaking and was describing Communism as a “beastly, horrible, damnable worship of a thing that was evil.” Other women with pronounced Communist leanings remained in the hall, but, beyond an occasional muttering, they kept quiet. The meeting closed with the enthusiastic singing of the National Anthem.