PARK COMEDY

Hokitika Guardian, 22 March 1933, Page 8

PARK COMEDY

FIFTEEN THOUSAND POLICE

QUIET LABOUR DEMONSTRATION

Almost' the entire strength of the Loudon Metropolitan Police Force; concentrated in and around Hyde. Pane on the afternoon of Sunday, February 5, stood by in masterly- inactivity at one of tlie most peaceful labour demonstrations ever held in London. Never before has there been a remarkable massing of the metropolitan police. Fifteen thousand of so wteiit to the park, erected marques, s et' up improvised field kitchens, turned the shelters into observation towers and telephone controls, and established field ambulance head-quarters. , Every man in the special service branch of Scotland Yard, which com corns itself with political offences, Was on duty. Groups of mounted policemen were posted at vantage points, and the Marble Arch itself was turned into a sort! of loose-box for spare horses.

Lord Trenchard, the police chief, himself was 0 n the battlefield—incognito. A lone, lorn figure, armed with

no more lethal a weapon than an umbrella, ho stood surveying his handiwork unrecognised by all except a handful of the mighty army lie had. mobilised.

SPECIALS CALLED OUT

Thousands of special constables had to be called out to perform, the normal duties of the regular police. Traffic control, even in the heart of the West End, had to be’handed over to tile “specials.”. All this was done on the instructions of Lord Trencard, because an insignificant number of “Reds” were disapointed, and even disgruntled, at being left out of. the demonstration of the trade union movement to protest against the Government’s unemployment policy. There were vague rumours tliat the “Reds” might “cause trouble.”

The three v.r four assistant-chief-maf-shals of the trade unionists’ demonstration —homely-lookihg men, using' their own bicycles-Miad' .solved the problem which had caused Lord Trenchard to-call out the whole metropolitan police. They went to see the Communist leaders.

“You can join the demonstration as long as you promise to behave yourselves,” they said. The Communists gave the required pledge. Some three or f o ur hundred “Reds’ then joined the tens of thousands of trade union marcher's, and contented themselves with 1 shouting, “Long Live Soviet Russia!” “Release Tom Mann!” i

WOMEN IN FUR COATS,

Tire procession filed into Hyde Park with at least one policeman to every six demonstrators. Many were' tfomen—quite a number wearing fur Coats. An entire brigade of the St John Ambulance was called to attend to casualties. First-aid tents had

been erected in the park. Stretcherbearers were ready by the score. Motor-ambulances were parked near by. Police motor-cyclists stood by the telephone observation posts ready . to rush away with urgent messages. Police motor-ears drashed to and fro. Others equipped with wireless kept in touch with the Yard from strategic points. Hundreds of uniformed police mixed with the crowds. Hundreds more were held in reserve in • railed-off enclosures, where blue police flags flapped bravely in the strong wind. Not one of the 15,000 policemen was called on to do anythng more serious than to make two minor arrests.

The demonstration was largely a' one-man show by Mr George Lansbury. The venerable leader of His Majesty’s Opposition was cheer-leader, community singing conductor,' soloist and chief speaker all in one. He sang verse after verse of the “Red Flag” with no support outside the small circle of supporters grouped around him on a horse-drawn cart. His attempt to start community singing of the “Internationale” was an' equally dismal failure. Rut Mr Lansbury persevered, and when the. bugles blew at dusk a : resolution condemning the Government’s unemployment policy and the Means Test was carried with acclamation.