A Wild Conflict.

Star (Christchurch), Volume XLIV, Issue 373, 15 March 1932, Page 6

A Wild Conflict.

Riotous Scenes

New Guard and Sydney

Communists.

. (Special to the “ Star.”) SYDNEY, February 27. 'J'HERE WERE WILD SCENES in Thompson Park, Bankstown, near Sydney, last night, when a detachment of the New Guard clashed with local Communists. Earlier in the night New Guardsmen broke up a meeting of the Unemployed Workers’ Movement at Newtown, at which revolutionary statements were being freely and openly made. At Bankstown, it appeared that an ugly situation might be created, and police reinforcements from other districts were rushed to the scene. Five arrests were made. Two local citizens and two alleged New Guardsmen were charged with riotous behaviour, and one alleged Communist was charged with riotous behaviour and assaulting a constable. About half-past nine o’clock last night about forty carloads of New Guard members arrived at Bankstown, and parked their machines in streets adjacent to Thompson Park, where Communists were speaking and where the Central Bankstown branch of the Australian Labour Party was holding a carnival. Realising that some plan or other was afoot, the police took the names cf many of the drivers of the cars. The New Guardsmen' streamed over to the Communist meeting, where a speaker, standing on a chair, was waving his hands excitedly and reviling the social order in general and the New Guard in particular, “ They talk of patriotism as they race about in cars, filling the air with poisonous fumes from petrol, and smoking big cigars. I challenge the New Guard and Campbell to ” Chair and Speaker Overturned. The speech ended there. The chair was overturned and the Communist fell to the ground There was some exciting milling backwards and forwards, and the Communist, amid the excitement, accepted the opportunity to disappear. Pandemonium was created. The cheers of the New Guardsmen, mingled with hoots from the Communists and their sympathisers, and the lusty singing of the National Anthem drowned the weaker strains of the Red Flag. Shouts, curses, threats, waving of fists, cheers, and songs—it was indeed a curious scene. It was so exciting and promised so much that most of the audience of the picture show near the park 'left their seats and joined the throng. At one point a fight occurred, and thousands of people rushed madly in the direction of the combatants. Thousands of people frantically endeavoured to see what was happening, but not more than a dozen had the satisfaction of witnessing any of the few blows which were struck before the police restored order. New Guardsmen Depart. It was becoming apparent that the Communists and labourites who had been attending the carnival had been reinforced by a rowdy element of youths and young men, who made no secret of their intention to drive the New Guard from Bankstown. There were several skirmishes, one or two bleeding noses, and one or two blackened eyes, b.t the five local policemen restrained those who were frantically endeavoriring to start a riot. The windscreen of a motor-car belonging to a local resident was shattered by a stone thrown at a passing New Guard member, and some little distance away a man, aiming a blow at another, broke another windscreen with his fist and cut his wrist badly. Eventually the New Guardsmen entered their motor-cars, and with much blowing of horns, waving of fists, and shouts of derision on both sides, they departed. As they left Bankstown local residents laid down a heavy barrage of stones, and invited the visitors to “ come back next Friday night.”