WOMAN SHOCKS COMMONS

Waikato Times, Volume 113, Issue 18950, 20 May 1933, Page 12 (Supplement)

WOMAN SHOCKS COMMONS

•' SHOWER OF LEAFLETS ON M’S.P. A hatless young woman, as agile as she was daring, astonished the British House of Commons last month by vaulting over the spiked partition which separates the Peers’ Gallery from the Strangers' Gallery and then running along the Members’ Gallery and scattering showers of green leaflets into the Chamber below. The leaflets demanded that the Government should “end the nonsense” of spending more money on the Services and should cease to economise on housing, education and relief for the unemployed. Members who were listening to the debate on the Navy Estimates were astounded to see hundreds of the leallets falling upon them., The young woman, who had two accomplices, played her part with energy and initiative. Lost In Corridors. First a young man stood up in the Strangers’ Galdery and threw Into the Chamber a large bundle of the leaflets. Immediately an attendant and a detective escorted him out. That was the signal for the young woman to leap into the Peers' Gallery. Then, after she had run the whole length of the House throwing the leaflets, she disappeared through a door. She lost herself, however, In the maze of corridors and was caught byattendants and policemen. As soon as she disappeared a second woman jumped up In the Strangers’ Gallery and shouted—- . “Stop war preparations. You have plenty of money for war, but none for the unemployed." People in tho gallery went towards her, and one man put a hand over her mouth until she too was escorted out, still protesting. Throughout the interruption Mr George Hall (Soc... Abcrdare), a Civil Lord of the Admiralty in the Socialist Government, cQntinuod with his; speech. The Chamber was an extraordinary sight when the leaflets had all solllcd. They were left where fhcy had fallen. The man and llio two women who created the scene were detained by liie authorities until the rising of the House,