DISORDERS IN ITALY

Chronicle (Levin), 12 December 1946, Page 5

DISORDERS IN ITALY

Press Assn.

Italians Clash With British

MILITARY POLICE BEATEN

By Telegraph

-Copyright

Received Thursday, 11.45 a.m. LONDON, Dec. 11. Pollowing disturbances in Padua, in which. thirty are reported to have been injured, mostly slightly, Padua has been declared out oi bounds for all off dutv troops. British General Head^uarters announced that the Prefect of Padua has been told that he must maintain order or stern measures would be taken. Reuter's correspondent', giving a fuller version of the disorders vesterdav, and which continued today, said they broke out when a cai driven bv a British soldier passed a red traffic light, and ran down a traffie policeman and also a motorcyclist awaiting the green light. Another policeman jumned on to the running board, but the car, out of control, ran into a cafe. An indignant crowd dragged out the driver and badly beat him until he was saved by a British military policeman. When several British military cars tried to pass along the crammed streets, the cnowd beat_ the occupants. Thev also beat a British captain who addressed them. Many more military police cars arrived and the crowd attacked them also, snatching batons from the military police and using them against the pt iicepr.en. Another contingent of military police, with tommy-guns and revolvers, intervened and enabled the occupants of the cars to retreat. The crowd then overturned and set fire to the cars. The disorders flared up again when an Italian car collided with a British motor-cyclist, who was killed. Soon afterwards a British military lorry and an Italian motorcoacli collided, killing one passenger. Meanwhile, demonstrators, besieging British military headquarters in a hotel in another part of the town, tore down the Union Jack at the entrance and illtreated a number of British officers. British General Headquarters says the situation appears to be under control today.