STREET DEMONSTRATION

Chronicle (Levin), 16 July 1949, Page 5

STREET DEMONSTRATION

P.ress AssociatioiLj

Anti-Conscriptionists Get Rough Handiing

(Per

• " NELI80JM, July 15. . A party ' oi' 14 Tnen 'and two vyomeii who staged an anticonscription demoustratipn by marching the street earrying placards in Nelson this evening. reeeived some rough handling bythe crowd. When members of ; ihe party made speeehes from a box at the foot oij the chureh steps one persistent speaker was bundled down Trafalgar Street, where his trousers were stripped U off. At times he was carried lr'j'i ( on a numb'er of hands. Put iu the ctib of a truek he was dviven slo.wly through- the streets to the salt water bridge followed by the mob. As. there was no tidal water in the creek he was being taken to Moller fountain to be dipped when he was taken into pTotective custody by the police. ^ Hundreds of eggs were thrown, many direeted at elose range and the speakers' clothes were covered with a.dripping mass. Oranges and apples were also used as missiles. A crowd, of more than a thousand was attracted to the sceue. . g The front row of spectators made several rushes among-the demonstrators in efforts to break np the meeting. At one stage two of the speakers were marched off by members of the crowd and Locked in a pnblic convenience. A nearby crowd sang the National Anthem and dispersed ahout 9 30 by which time the ranks of the demonstrators had been depleted.