Los Angeles herald., 1907-03-06
REVOLUTIONARY
DEMONSTRATION
MARKS OPENING
Russian Parliament
in Session
Threatening Crowd Of Forty Thousand
People Fills streets-Armed Co.'S
sacks Called Out to Pre-
vent Disorder
BY Associated Pre-

BY Associated Press.
ST. PETERSBURG, March 5.-The
opening today for the douma or lower
house of the Russian parliament, al
though in itself devoid of incident, was
made the occasion of a great revolu-
tionary demonstration by the st.
Petersburg proletariat and students,
which resulted in several encounters
between the police and populace and
more or less serious injury to number
of the latter. The situation was such
that the authorities finally were forced
to fill the streets with military patrols,
as in the ominous days of the Trepoff
regime.
After the adjournment of the house a
tumultuous crowd estimated to num-
ber close to 10000 persons, with red ban
ners flying and accompanied by the
music of revolutionary chants, started
toward the central quarter of the city
where the winter palace of the emperor
is located.
Few elements of the prelude of "red
Sunday" were lacking and the COM
mand fire" would have precipitated
similar massacre.
But the present prefect of st. Peters,
burg, General Dracheffsky, followed an
other course and dispersed the process
sion by charges of mounted gendarmes
armed with whips By an imposing
display of force he prevented the dem
onstratorS from reforming.
Crowd Held in Check
The police guarding the Tauride pal
ace acted with great forbearance, Civ
ing the spectators free vent on singing
and cheering, and only interfering to
prevent the people from forcing their
way into the palace.
| When the deputies emerged after adj
| journment of the session the temper
of the crowd was fired by speeches from
social revolutionary leaders, and a
dozen of them mounted upon the shoul-
ders of their followers harangued those
| present on the necessity of organizing
to support parliament against the gov
| ernment.
The social revolutionary motto awe
will fight for our rights" was adopted
as a slogan and simultaneously red
handkerchiefs began to f1utter above
/ the heads of the crowd and then the
J crimson banners appeared like magic
| The crowd, singing the "Marseillaise''
and battle song of the Russian revolu-
ton, moved slowly down the avenue,
| stopping at intervals to listen to
speeches and to sing.
Meanwhile the authorities had hast
lily concentrated a strong force of gend-
armes, (which charged the head of the
procession when it reached the Literny
prospect one of the main business ave-
nues. The gendarmes piled their whips
vigorously and in one case used the
flats of their sabers The crowd made
two unsuccessful attempts to reassem-
BILE.
Armed Cossacks Arrive
The gendarmes by this time had been
reinforced by the detachments of the
Chevalier guards, who cleared the road
way amid curses of derision from the
sidewalks. Finally a large force of
Cossacks, armed with lances, arrived.
The spiteful red pennoned weapons,
which never before had been brought
out in street demonstration, took all
the heart out of the crowd.
Another monster demonstration was
held at the university to celebrate the
anniversary of revolutionary democ-
racy.
1t was learned tonight that Premier
Stolypin, in order to diminish his
chances of possible assassination would
spend the night in the Tauride palace,
and it is understood he has taken a
suite of rooms in a wing off the palace,
which he will occupy as long as parlia-
ment is in session.