FULL NEWS OF

EXTRA

“BLOODY SUNDAY’

THE

PE OP GE ADVOCAT

British Columbia’s Progressive Home Paper

VOL. IV. No. 23

VANCOUVER, B.C., MONDAY, JUNE 20, 1938

SS <

5 Cents

SINGLE JOBLESS

EATRA

TELL OWN STORIES

PEOPLE DEMAND

PATTULLO QUIT

Police Teargas, Club Jobless

33 Peele. Hurt In Police Attack On PO, Gallery

While most of “Fanepiy as Salt Sis still slept, city and Royal Canadian Mounted police at six o’clock on Sunday morning descended on the 750 single unemployed in the post office and art gallery and ejected them with tear gas and clubs.

Residents in down-town hotels and apartment houses were awakened by running feet and the ominous clatter of horses’ hoofs over paving stones. They heard shouts and the sound of glass breaking. Sirens sounded in the distance.

They looked out to see men running along Hastings and Cordova streets pursued by police on horseback and in patrol ears. They saw men forced up against the sweep of plate glass windows of Woodward’s department store and brutally clubbed! Wore than one club missed its human mark and went through

a window instead.

Within an hour the story had been fiashed all over the city.

Around six o'clock several de- tectives entered the art gallery. They presented the men’s leaders With an order to evacuate.

The men took a vote and unani- mously decided to remain. Then Police Chief W. W. Foster stepped forward and read the Riot Act. Another vote was taken by the men, who stated that they wouid the building but peaceably to mass

not evacuate would submit arrest.

Police Chief Poster replied that there was no accommodation at either the city or Oakalla jail for So Many men and again ordered the mea to evacuate.

Harold Winch (CCF, Vancouver Hiast), who had been awakened by two detectives at four o'clock to come down town with them, cau- tioned the pelice against use of violence, but soon afterwards tear Bas bombs were thrown into the

art gallery, forcing the men to

come out.

Despite the extreme provocation, the men did no damage to the pic- tures valued at thousands of dol- lars in the gallery.

At the post office there was no reading of the Riot Act. RCMPo- lice gave the men 20 minutes to evacuate. Steve Brodie, dynamic young leader of the 500-odd men, asked first for mass arrest and, when that was refused, for arrest of himself as representing the men. Phis was also refused.

Upon expiry of the time limit, far £as was thrown in. RCMPolice ippeared from behind the wickets, slubbing the men into the street where they were attacked by other Olice.

Phe Ukrainian Labor Temple at 05 East Pender street was con- merted into a first aid station for reatment of the less seriously in- ured. Mrs. Lusk, president of Van- Cuver Mothers’ Council, Dr. Lyle Pelford, MILA, and a doctor from sleveland, Ohio, who volunteered “4S services, were kept busy dress- ne wounds. in the emergency, landagses intended for China by he Medical Aid to China Commit- ee were used.

<<

Pattullo— Has Failed CCE Says

The followings statement was released to the press on Sun- day, following the police attaclz on the single unemployed.

Co oK

“A ghastly, inhuman, brutal course of action occurred on Sunday morning as Christians went to early mass. The men in both the art gallery and post office were prepared to submit to peaceful arrest but the au- thorities refused to accept their offer, and used brutal, inhuman methods of gassing and beating the men.

“The problem still remains. No solution has been found. The federal and provincial gov- ernments had ample warning. If the governments with all their power and authority, and more revenue than ever before in their history, cannot find some other solution than these unwarranted, brutal tactics, then how can we expect the un- employed to find the solution?

“Realizing the inevitability of such a situation arising, the CCF urged the provincial gov- ernment to call a special session to deal with the problem, but the sovernment took no action.

“The result is today’s un- fortunate incident. We feel that elected members of the legis- lature en masse should agree to resign and present them- selves before the electorate..

“Peace and good government has ceased to exist. To be a member of a legislative as- semb that permits such con- duct as the authorities have been guilty of is a grave reflec- tion on the intelligence and in- tesrity of every member of the House.”

30,000 AT DOCK AS BOYS GO

A solid mass of people last nisht packed themselves into every vantage point around Pier D to nese the contingent of 100 single unemployed as they embarked for Victoria.

Aroused to a tremendous pitch of both indignation and enthusiasm at the day’s events, masses of peo- ple surged through the streets in a three-hour demonstration of soli- darity for the jobless. Authorities, if they considered further violence. were powerless.

The CPR depot presented an amazing scene as members of the delegation fought their way through to the gang plank. Sings- ing, cheering, half-hysterical with emotion, there was no doubt left in the minds of government of- ficials of where the sympathies of the people lay. When the boys Srouped on deck sang “Oh Can- ada,” many of the crowd wept, and aS the boat slowly sailed

SIDELIGHTS

Sunday was Father’s Day the sons fared hadly. Se The wharf, Pier D and even the roof were packed with peo- ple as the boys left on Sunday night.

but

co) Adam Smith Johnston, prom- inent city barrister, will defend the arrested boys in court.

@ A policeman outside PY¥Yood- wards stepped on a man’s foot on Sunday night. Im a moment

the crowd felled him to the ground.

5 ESSE Sia a Ea iS ga ag a ga a ae Pa a Ea aia pea pee pale away, “Hold the Fort” was sung

by the huge throng.

As the crowd moved away, its mood changed. The sight of police and RCMP guarding the post of- fice recalled the morning’s teargas and clubbing. The police retired in- Side as the pressure of the jeering people became greater. From the Opposite roof came a shower of stones to smash post office win- dows.

Finally at 1 am, R. mnemployed leader, in a short speech declared the men’s cause would be helped better were every- one to go home.

W. Campbell,

Rumor Pattullo In City Sunday

It was rumored down tewn last night that Premier D. Pat tullio had arrived Im Vancouver Sunday mornimse. Definite con- Girmation of this could not how- ever, be obtained at press time.

Harold Winch told the Advo- cate that, if Premier Pattullo did not come to Vancouver today as promised, the CCE members would go to Victoria te press the men’s demands.

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mites

P= Sad 4 FG PE SIE=VIE=G ESTA ET PC =a epg oC p44 a Pd PH Oa

Injured Steve Brodie, head injuries, in St. Paul’s Hospital. Arthur Redfath, ulcerated eye, in General Hospital. Robert Porter, teargas poisoning, in General Hospital. Thirty others treated for minor injuries.

Arrested

Joseph Sendires, charged with doing malicious damage. Cecil Paul, charged with doing malicious damage. Ted Shopa, charged with being in possesion of an offensive

weapon. Charges will be Cosas

ed against 20 others today.

SEES FESS T SS SSIES ee oc esc iss eee

SSS See i DSSS ESS SS Chto 4

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‘No Quarter’

POLICE CLUBBED MEN MERCILESSLY

By JACK UNSWORTH HE first intimation those of us in the post office received of the attack was when pickets on duty outside reported that

two carloads of RCMP had arrived in behind the building.

was at 4:30 a.m.

The sleeping men were aroused «4 and dressed in a few minutes. Steve Brodie addressed us, asking us to be as orderly as possible. We voted unanimously against evacuation,

At 4:40 city police began to con- centrate outside the post office and at 5 am the postmaster, accom- panied by RCMP officers, told us he had received instructions from Ottawa to evict us. He advised us that we would be given 20 minutes to leave.

Brodie asked the RCMP what would happen if we refused to leave and was told that the police would resort to teargas. Brodie then asked if we could be placed under mass arrest, but this was refused.

We spent the next 20 minutes Singing our union songs. At the end of this time the postmaster gave us another ten minutes to get out.

We sat tight and at 5:30 the first barrage of teargas bombs came over the partition. A group of ap- proximately 30 men immediately dashed outside to be met with po- lice batons and rubber hose wielded by both city police and RCMP. The second barrage of bombs forced the men to break the windows to allow the gas to escape. By this time the building was half emptied.

After a third barrage only a handful of us were left, including

This

myself and Brodie. RCMP came from behind the wickets clubbing us and driving us outside.

Brodie was a marked man and even before he had got out of the doorway he had been clubbed to the ground by half a dozen batons.

Hie staggered into the middle of the street, the blood streamin:=: down his face, and was again

elubbed down.

The RCMP eave the men no quarter. A first-aid man kneeling beside an injured man was plubped from behind, despite the fact that he wore a conspicuous red cross band on his arm.

Meanwhile, behind the Royal Bank Building, another battle was In progress. Here the police re- ceived the worst of it. One motor- cycle policeman who was lashing out with his club was struck in the melee and went down. I did not see what happened to him, as just at that moment I was struck by a club myself. I was knocked to the ground, dazed, and lay there until the police had passed on. Men ran up fire escapes and over roofs, closely pursued by police, who drove them eastward along Hastings and Cordova streets to Carroll. Here we fell in behind the boys from the art gallery who were marching in orderly fashion to the Ukrainian Labor Temple.

Eye

TELLS WHAT HAPPENED AT GALLERY

By REGINALD MOSHER A ROUND 5 oclock I was awakened by one of the pickets

who told me the police had mediately and while I was dre

come to evict us. I got up im= Ssing the police unlocked the

chain on the iron gates and entered. I awoke some of the boys

and we assembled at pre-arrans

ed stations alons the walls.

My own station was in the back Ss room. I heard somebody reading | out an eviction order to the effect that we had 20 minutes to get out.

A vote was taken on this and we decided to stay. We stated, how- ever, that we wauld submit to mass arrest.

This was refused and after the 20 minutes had passed the first teargas bomb was thrown inside. We held our ground until we could bear it no longer. There are no windows in the art gallery and the skylights had been closed by a man on the roof.

Right up to the last we preserved

our discipline, adhering strictly to our decision to harm none of the paintings. Harold Winch told me that be entered the gallery after we had been evicted and satisfied himself that no damage had been done.

Many of the boys were feelings the effects of the gas, particularly those who had colds. Some were Sick.

The police followed us all the way down town to our union head- quarters at 60 East Cordowa street Where we found that tearsas bombs had also been thrown.

HIT GOVT Al MASS MEETING

The Pattullo government must either act immediately to provide work and wages for the unemployed through a public works program or, ad- mitting its inability to cope with the problem, resign.

A resolution to this effect re— ceived the unanimous endorsation of the 15,000 people who rallied at Powell street srounds Sunday aiternoon to protest ihe police at tack on single unemployed at the post office and art gallery.

“Who could blame the men for breaking a few windows after such provocation and savage beatings,” Alderman Helena Gutteridge cried indignantly.

Speeches from nine champions of the single unemployed echoed grounds black with people aroused by the morning’s police brutalities, and when references were made to the culpability of Premier Pattullo, there were roars of disapproval.

R. W. Campbell, leader, who was chairman meeting, held up a gas stating: “This is Pattullo’s to the single unemployed.”

Other speakers were: Arnold Webster, CCF; A. M. Stephen, pres- ident, Canadian League for Peace and Democracy; Rev. R. IN. Mathieson, Collingswood UWnited Chureh; Fergus MeKean, provin- cial secretary, Communist party; John Stanton, president, Vancou- ver Youth Council; Mrs. M. Lusk and Mrs. Cowsill, Vancouver Mothers’ Council; E. Cumber, Re- lief Project Workers‘ Union: G. Maynard, International Woodwork-

over

of the bomb, answer

ers’ Union.- As the crowd came away from the rally thousands gathered

around the police station to boo the few police visible in the doorway. The boos changed to a roar as one policeman at the foot of the steps took hold of a woman and struck her sharply.

The crowd surged forward and the policeman hastily released the woman, ran up the steps and joined the group at the door.

For a full hour after the meet- ing terminated the crowd remained Outside the police station.

A civic official told the Advocate on Sunday afternoon that the sav-— agery with which the RCMP at- tacked the single unemployed shocked even many of the city po- lice, so that a clash between RGMP and city police and firemen was narrowly averted.

unemployed >

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