Workmen's advocate., 1888-05-26
A LONDON LETTER.
RADICALS TESTING RIGHT OF
 PUBLIC MEETING.
Arresting Socialists for Fun Lon. dOn's Chief of Police Tries and Fails to Deliver d Lecture.
 RetaliatiOn-New So.
 cialiSt Section.

LONDON, May 10th. Satur- day last novel kird of assembly was held in Trafalgar Square. A few radical members of Parliament, in cluding Mir. Cunningham, Mir. Gra- ham and MT. Conybeare, and other prominent Radicals, met there in order to test the question as to whether people could meet to talk and walk about in the Square. As your readers are aware, public meet ings are practically prohibited in definitely by the Tory government and Sir Charles Warren, the Chief Commissioner of the Met opoltan Police. The notice gwen of the ln- tention of the members of Parlia- ment to meet there meant, of course, that the people should come there to see them meet. The proceeding was somewhat amusing, but every body knew that nothing serious was meant by the members of Parlla- ment, tor the mere question of meeting and talking in Trafalgar Square that is, using 1t as thor oughfare-does not touch the right of public meeting in the least. At about four o'clock there were about 2,00O persons in and about the Square, whilst the members of Par lament and the Radicals, followed by small knots of men, were being kept slowl y on the move by the po- hce. This lasted for about an hour and half, during which time one of our comrades, T. Walker, made an attempt to address the meeting. A number of police made for hlm at once, but he was pulled down by some of his friends, and narrowly escaped arrest. When the members of Parliament had departed, the po- lice began to clear the Square. Thls was no very hard task, for the people, becoming tired of the farce, were gradually dwlndling away, so that there were not very many re- mainlng. Four arrests were made in clearing the Square, the offenders being charged with dlsorderly con- duct. Our comrade, Power, who had been very active during the at- ternoon selling our paper, J"st1ce, was among them, although he had sold out the papers and was prepar- ing to leave. lie was, however, dis charged last Monday by the magls- trate at Bow Street Police Court, there being no evidence against him.
 Last Sunday we had a most magni- ficent success. Colonel Sir Charles Warren, the Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police, who has made hls name over the brutal manner ln which he has ordered the police to to disperse peaceable gatherings, was to give a lecture on Palestine at the Oxford Music Hall. Thls South African tilibuster, as he IS com monly called, is very fond of lectur- ing on the "Holy Land and writ ing on the "CedarS of Lebanon. " This meeting was also pubic one, new departure for Warren, as at all his previous lectures admission was only to be obtained by ticket. However, the Oxford Muse Hall was crowded, principally by Social ists; and no sooner had the police commissioner been introduced and begun to speak, than he was assalled with a perfect storm of hootlng, missing and grooming. He tried to get hearing, but III vain; hls audi ence were determined not to allow him to speak. The chairman then rose and appealed for order, and succeeded in obtaining comparative quletness, but the moment Sir Charles Warren rose to resume his address he was greeted in the same manner. The police were called in and endeavored to remove those they suspected of being the ring