PITCHED BATTLE

Wairarapa Daily Times, 18 July 1932, Page 5

PITCHED BATTLE

ON CAIRNS SHOWGROUND POLICE AND UNEMPLOYED. Press AssjihiiLn Electric Tciegraph—Copyright (Received Monday, 10.55 a.m.) BRISBANE, This Day. One hundred men were injured, many seriously, iu a pitched battle between the police, aided by citizens, and nomadic unemployed, 1 lcl by Communists, on the Cairns showgrounds. The unemployed were armed with knives, staves and nulias pierced with nails and other weapons. What was thought to be bombs were thrown at the police and citizens but the missiles failed to explode.

The Cairns ambulance took seventeen of the most seriously injured combatants to the hospital, some in q, serious condition.

hqvo been conducted for two months to get tlie campers to leave £ne filWffgi'Ounds to enable. Reparations to be made for the aiiilual show. They refused offers of temporary accommodation until after the show when they could return to the buildings, and ignored tlie ultimatum to get out by yesterday.

The first clash occurred when tho police, who tried to separate two men of the opposing sides, were attacked and three were felled. The police then pursued the attackers, aided by townspeople, and the battle began. The fighting was most desperate. Weight of numbers caused the unemployed eventually to flee into tlie bush chased by a crowd weilding batons and poles. Four of the police were admitted to the hospital and several of tlie unemployed suffered broken arms.