The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1887-10-29 00:00:00

SUNDAY'S DEMONSTRATIONS IN
TRAFALGAR SQUARE.

A bleak, foggy morning such as that of Sunday was
not the beet preliminary for the promised demonstra-
tion of the "unemployed in Trafalgar-square, and
public interest was somewhat discounted by the know-
ledge that the Scotland-yard authorities had decided
not to interfere with the meeting so long as it pre-
served an orderly character. From eleven o'clock
until past one, the only indication of the coming
manifestation was a continually-moving body of idlers,
who mustered thickly in the neighbourhood of the
National Gallery, and were allowed free passage to
and fro in the square itself. Nothing showed that an
unusual gathering later on was anticipated beyond the
presence of detachments of police, mounted and on
foot, drawn up at convenient points, especially when
the main arteries of traffic crossed; but at no time
was there anything like an overwhelming force
of constables present, although ample arrange-
ments had been made for contingencies, and
sufficient men were held in reserve to guard
against the possibility of lawless or disorderly
behaviour. Fortunately, however, everything passed
of with an excellent show of good temper on both
sides; but this was probably due in a large measure
to the fact that a vast proportion of those present
were mere sightseers. The crowd, in the main, seemed
to be composed of well-dressed people, who, instead
of giving themselves up to their usual perambulation
of the principal thoroughfares, had resolved to seek
this central point in anticipation of seeing one of
those "demonstrations" of which they have recently
heard and read so much. The character and
behaviour of the gathering—which at its largest num-
bered probably 0000 or 7000 persons, in whom was a
fair sprinkling of women and childrea—contrasted
favourably with the conduct of the mobs that have
during the past few days alarmed the West-end of
the metropolis. Though from various points whence
speeches were delivered the familiar faces of several
well-known agitators were seen, they found them-
selves in the agreeable position of addressing a far
more respectable audience than usual. Shortly before
two o'clock, when the weather had become bright and
cheerful, a small procession, probably composed
of about 200 men, preceded by a red flag surrounded
by a Phrygian cap, entered the square from the north-
east side, and thenceforward for about an hour, their
leaders harangued the crowd in speeches pitched in
the usual key. The more loud-lunged and vehement
attracted the largest audiences, and as, on the average,
there were six speakers declaiming at the same time
against capitalists and the police, several independent
meetings were, in effect, being held simultaneously at
various points within the square. A religious enthu-
siast, brandishing a staff to which was attached a
small Union Jack, was rather roughly handled by a
body of youths and bays, and had to seek the protec-
tion of the police, by whom he was conveyed for safety
to Scotland-yard, but beyond this the first portion of
the demonstration was exceedinely tame and flat.
rhe police, in their movements hither and thither, re-
teived some hooting, but these demonstrations wsre
far from general, and the constabulary took them with
the utmost good-humour.