The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1887-11-05 00:00:00

THE "UNEMPLOYED" OF LONDON

MONDAY'S DOINGS.

The Socialistic orators made an early start on
Monday in Trafalgar-square, the first of the speakers,
a man named Croker, commencing shortly after eleven
a.m. to harangue the mob. A strong force of police
was in attendance all round the square. The spec-
tators were rather more numerous than during most
of last week, and a large number of street arabs and
rough lads was present. Following Croker was quite
a throng of spokesmen, who held forth as usual from
the north side of Nelson's Column. Most of them
advised the working men "sticking together,"
until the Government were compelled to start
relief works, and counselled resistance to the
police if the latter interfered in any way
with meetings or processions. Among the speakers
were George, G. Williams, Murphy, Allman, Pearson,
Walker, and Walter Power. Walker denied that he
had ever said anything derogatory of clergymen, he
was not there to attack them, or any religious body,
but simply the existing pernicious social system.
Power said that the people should meet police violence
with violence. Ile hoped that as many of them as
were able would join the volunteers, in order to
learn drill, so that when the time came they could
defend themselves and their interests. About
three p.m. a procession was formed along the
parapet at the north side of the square, and, pre-
ceded by the red flag, on which the Phrygian cap
was displayed aloft, some 2000 or 3000 men and lads
started along the Strand. At the very outset a fight
nearly took place. The police, in moving towards
the head of the column from where they were drawn
up on the east side of the square, had to cross the line
of the procession. Jones shouted, "Lock arms, and
don't let the police through." Power cried at the
same time "Halt," and he managed to check the
head of the procession in front of the Charing-cross
Post-office. There was a good deal of hustling
and uproar, during which Power made a
brief speech. He said, "Stand together, men.
We are not disorderly. Don't be afraid, but behave
like Englishmen. We are marching quietly, but
we will let no policemen into our ranks or walk with
us. If the police want to walk, let them go by them-
selves on the side walk. We don't want them, and
we tell them we shan't have them, come what may."
The noise and tumult continued for about a minute,
and the whole street traffic was completely blocked.
Finally the procession moved on, the police not
manifesting the slightest disposition to interrupt its
progress. The mob marched through Fleet-street, up
Ludgate-hill, along Cheapside, thence retracing their
steps by way of Queen Victoria-stree+, New Bridge-
street, Fleet-street, and the Strand, to the square.
On the way they alternately sang and whistled one or
other of the two tunes, "The Starving Poor of Old
England" and the " Marseillaise," varying the
monotony by groaning at the newspaper offices and
cheering at the cheap coffee and refreshment shops.
It was half-past four o'clock when speaking was re-
sawed at the square. Power bade them return in in-
creased numbers next day, and promised to bring to
their aid 2000 unemployed dock labourers. Shortly
after five o'clock, after groaning for the police and
che.riug fcr the sodal revolution, the crowd die-
persed.