PUBLIC ORDER

Evening Star, Issue 21744, 12 June 1934, Page 10

PUBLIC ORDER

RECENT OLYMPIA DISTURBANCES HOME SECRETARY'S STATEMENT (British Official Wireless.) Press Association —By Telegraph—Copyright. RUGBY, June 11. (Received Juno 12, at noon.) In the House of Commons, in a statement on the recent disorders at the fascist meeting at Olympia last week, the Home Secretary (Sir John Gilmour) said the country as a whole would agree that disorder on the scale recently witnessed could not bo tolerated, and if it continued it might be necessary to arm the executive authorities with further power for the purpose of preserving public order. He was not concerned to apportion the blame between the Fascists and Communists, but it was the function of the Government to preserve law and order, and it would be failing in its duty if it allowed any faction to disturb the public peace. The Government certainly was nob prepared to allow the maintenance of order and the maintenance of free institutions to be ursurped by any private irresponsible body, no matter what might be its avowed aim or object. The above statement was made in reply to a number of questions addressed to the Minister. He stated that, arising out of the disturbances in connection with the meeting, twentythree arrests bad been made, and ten persons had been treated in neighbouring hospitals for injuries sustained within the building.. Ho explained that, except on a request, or unless there was good reason to believe that a breach of the peace was being committed. it was no part of police duties to enter premises where public meetings were being held. On the present occasion the police were informed that •assistance, .within the building .was not required. Allegations had been made by responsible eye-witnesses that assaults had been committed by Fascist stewards on people interrupting, but as the law did not allow undue violence to be used, and as the question of whether unnecessary force was used might come before the court, it would not be proper for him to make any comment on these allegations. He ought, however, to point out that hitherto the advice as regards police action had been based, on the assupmtion that the stewards would-act without undue violence and avoid illegal acts. If this assumption was found to bo unwarranted as regards meetings promoted by any particular organisation, the whole policy of police action inside such public meetings would have to be revised.