POLICE AND RIOTERS CLASH IN KARANGAHAPE ROAD

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 1, Issue 200, 16 April 1932, Page 5

POLICE AND RIOTERS CLASH IN KARANGAHAPE ROAD

Iss Assn.—

riot act threatened BATQN CHARGES THROUGH PRESS OF GREAT CROWD epiphany chuRch iff fMMiS I Despite the arriyal of police reinforcements from all parts of the Idistrlct, the recruitirig of 1000 spedal constables, and the assistance jof two squadrons of Waikato Mounted Rifles, there was a fresh outjbreak of rioting and mob violence in Auckland lfist night. I Thirty fiirther arrests were iriadie and several persons were rer jmoved to hospital suffering from serious injuries. For over 20 m'inlutes a furious battle raged in Karangahape Road between special Jconstables and a section of the crowd. Further property damage was jdone and many windows were brolcen. | Great crowds collected in Karangahape Road which was the centre |of last night's disturbance, and in order to ipreveht further hindrance, |hie Mayor, Mr. G. W. Hutchison, has threatened to jread the Riot [Act. If The Act is read any persons reimaining in the streets will ■jecome liable tb imprisonment for life. I During the rioting in Karangahape Road, fire Bfoke out in the [Church of Epiphany and was not'quelled until the building had bjseri laitially gutted. Qne man was killed and another seriously injured, ivhen a lorry collided with a lieavy truck which had been carrylng Ipecial constables. Queen Street was comparativiely quiet, but shops Ivere barricaded and armed police parties patrolled all night.

-By Telegraph-

— Copyri^ht).

AUCKLAND, Friday. In ugly fight between the special Itables and section of the rioters Irred opposite the premises of |Bon Marche in Karangahape Id this. eyening. Two men were lusly injured by baton wounds, [a dozen more received blows of Iss serious character. I stone thrown through a shop Kow was the start of the fight. A lon of the special constables in led formation, and brandishing I batons above their heads rushIforward through the dense Id to arrest the man, shouting Ind Back, Stand back." . len, women and children got in I way as they jostled the crowd - Icurses were hurled at them by [men in front.

[Women shouted, "Leave him " [one, dirty scabs," and the 5 Ixt instant the ♦ street was [rown into hopeless confusion. fcn used their fists and the spe- ^ lls laid about them with their Itons. For three or four min- •_ les, the street resounded with Iws, scuffling of feet and frenId yelling. | wornan was knocked down in -t Jmelee and carried into a shop e thalf a dozen rioters with bleedt- leads and arms reeled out of the h pling mass, leaving one of their is ler in the hands of the specials. is |e men who were in the forei- I of the attack gradually thinned n Is some were put out of aetion - lounds and others got out of ■ ofthe specials. At least one l(j [was arrested. He was bleeding ie |se^' from a deep gash on the gg land was led away by two spec|r_ lirough the jeering hooting mob. I Shouting and Screaming lowds of specials became invol|n further action as the evening lon, Their tactics were to band ly together two or three deep liove forward through the surg- ^ Irowd whenever the crash and |r of breaking windows offered Ipoints, in the mass of humanity, Ihich to centre their attention. I progress in this fashion was lifnal for a storm of shouting Icreaming. Men and youths hurl[byftlis upon them and urged each if |to go for them and stand their ionf nnnutes or so, more than cggftction of the specials were kept thel^ ^ro:m P^ace place in the ; Jthrong by intermittent spasms a leaking. No sooner had they % Id in one direction than a re- '• ; ling crash on the opposite side ^'Istreet caused them to dash forI land alter their course and make :a|e|e place where the offender was *|ht to be. °*e "» crowd impeding them was so |F packed that by the time they ra|P|ed the spot everyone around itlijindow had scattered and all osi»ould do was to keep the crowd until another window was ref1«'1 on °PP°site side of the tthsi, a dozen windows or more facibroken in this manner. [ announcement that if disi pBlliances similar to that of the llUpw two nights occurred again, IjW^ouId have no hesitation in hel®ing the Riot Act, was made beijtiihe Mayor^ Mr. G. W. HutcheVSi'B) to-night. tn® effect of the reading of the fhawct will be that one hour after ositaleen read, if the crowd does tnce sperse, every person who re- : pe in the vicinity will be liable st and imprisonment for life," lyor said. "That would mean a whole street would be clear- ® to-day was late shopping night disturbance purely local, I . consider it was a fair thing everyone leave the street rida: IUs disturb business. Further, > relying upon the request I ■el'J ade through the Press that : ie who proposed to walk the °Hf °Ut siaouib stay a^ ' i A.s however they did not go )P°. ifter the shops closed, it will erV1 dedly be necessary in future ; -sterner measures and bring tilic to the realisation of its lake the Consequences at10 such circumstances, if there tcther recurrenee of the dis;At les with the attendant crowd i Co- 'okers, I will not hesitate to pa- a( ? Riot Act," added the Mayor. 1 !'ho then elect to remain in te ' eet must take the consequsand | slb ®late hour it was ascertained N arrests had been made toJun»mcipally on charges of riotta mischief . a. ^ptual looting was reported. aug®lances treated 30 men for Hijuries and three cases are in damage was done to the r Epiphany in Karanga- » by a fire which hroke out jpst about the time *- ^^Stomencement of the disturbshopping area nearby. rf

The fire apparently hroke out in the choir vestry heneath the sanctuary and quickly spread. The flames travelled along the vaulted roof and were hreaking out through ihe norihern walls overlooking Karaiigahape Rpad when the fire engiqe arfiveB: "the alarm was given ahbut 9.15 p.m. and hy that time the fire had a strong hold on tKe interior. The fire was soon urider controi, hut great difficulty was experieneed in extinguishing the blaze owing to the height of the roof, where the timbers were burning in several places. The main damage was done to the organ which was soon a charr ed mass. This portion of the building was badly burned and the whole of the choir library was consumed. The Vicar, the Rev Jasper Calder was able to save the church records and communion plate. The origin of the fire could no't be determined.