AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

Taihape Daily Times, 4 July 1918, Page 5

AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

SYDNEY DOMAHSI ORATORS.

HOSTILE DEMONSTRATION.

SOLDIERS MARCH TO TRADES HALL.

A mild demonstration occurred In the Sydney Domain on the afternoon, of Sunday, June 16 ,and later in the evening at the Trades Hall as the result of Domain utterances.

Shortly after the arrival of a numb'ii- of invalid returned soldiers at the

Anzac Buffet, crowd sauntered off to lis'ttn to several speakers mounted on various platforms. Each speaks* was surrounded with a large crowd of auditors. Fo*r a time each received a patient hearing. began, and gradually increased. It appeared at one meeting that a fews boisterous spirits were intent on mis* chief. The police, about 150 of whom; were on duty at the Anzac Buffet, were ordered to attend the meetings* This was taken by the public as an I indication of impending trouble. Nothing however, occurred for several minutes, but, as a few of the noisy section seemed likely to cause trouble the police stopped a speaker and' quietly walked him out of the Domain^ The same course of action was adopted with a second speaker. This seemed to settle matters for a time. Later on, however, three talkers were pushd off the platform before the police could interfere. The police dis« tributed themselves among the Crowd* Mere jostling ensued, and 'three persons were arrested and charged with riotous behaviour. Early in the evening a body of about 200 soldiers in uniform visited Darlinghurst for the purpose of attending an open air meeting. Not finding their .quarry the men marched to the Trades Hall. Their approach was communicated to the police, and a large force, including a dozen mounted troopers, was despatched to the spot, which they reached before the soldiers. The latter, it was reported, intended to attend a meeting being conducted there in order to make a demonstration against a speaker wno they alleged had been making remarks reflecting on recruiting, and which did not meet with their views of patriotism. The man sought, however, %as not there, and the 'soldiers made no attempt to enter the building. "•'The appearance of the foot police, the mounted men, and the soldiers caused much curiosity amongst a large crowd who had collected. In the meantime a body of garrison military police'were brought-to the Central Police Station in case of emergency. Their services, however, were not required, as the soldiers, after waiting about the street in the vicinity of the Trad3s Hall, suddenly formed up and marched to the railway station on the way to camp.