POTATO RIOTS

New Zealand Times, Volume XLII, Issue 9795, 19 October 1917, Page 2

POTATO RIOTS

WOMAN CRIES “MY LIFE FOE A SACK.” The potato riots in the Amsterdam Covent Garden market, in the Marnixstraat, took a serious turn on tho night of July 7th. The entire market district was guarded by police, but great crowds gathered in the neighbourhood, and pressed on the police from all slles. Stones were thrown and mounted police repeatedly fired over the heads of the crowd, but this only brought fresh onlookers from the neighbouring houses, among them women with children m arms. After police reinforcements had arrived, they attacked the crowd, and at midnight the streets around the market were cleared of the mob. More serious scenes occurred on the potato market on the Handelskade. A rumour spread that 20 wagons of potatoes had arrived, and that the storehouses were full of potatoes intended for England. Tho crowds first moved, to one storehouse, where two barges with potatoes were lying. One barge was stormed, and the crowd carried off the booty in sacks and baskets. When police reinforcements arrived, tho crowd stormed the railway wagons, several of which were broken open and robbed of their contents. More police arrived, and finally charged the crowd. , . , In the evening a great crowd tried to force its way into the Handelskade, which was blocked by police and soldiers, under the command of a lieutenant. The officer thrice summoned the crowd to fall back, but without avail. -Shoot! came the reply from the crowd, and those in front bared their breasts, ihe officer then ordered his men to fire in the air, and when this had no effect, he gave the order to fire with ball cartridge. The papers report that one man was killed and many wounded. At one time a furious crowd was face to face with the soldiers, who had their bayonets fixed, when a woman rushed forward, crying. “Do as much as you dare. My life for a sack of potatoes! She took' tho potatoes, and nobody dared to firo.