Queen Street, Brisbane, c1967

 

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The Canberra Times - Saturday 9 September 1967
STUDENT PROTEST MARCH - 114 Arrested in Street Battle

Brisbane, Friday - Police arrested 114 demonstrators today following a protest march by 3,500 Queensland University students, lecturers and others from the university campus to the city.

During the three hour demonstration police and marchers swapped punches in scenes of mob protest never before seen in Brisbane.

The marchers were demonstrating against Queensland Government regulations which require demonstrators to apply for a permit before holding a demonstration in the city.

The students completed a peaceful six-mile march from the university grounds in the suburb of St Lucia, to Roma Street, in inner Brisbane, before the trouble began.

Police prevented the demonstrators from proceeding into Roma Street and several hundred then sat down on the road in defiance of an order from the Metropolitan Traffic Superintendent, Inspector L. Hughes.

A big crowd cheered and booed police as they forcibly removed demonstrators from the road. Men and women were dragged bodily from the road and flung into gutters and on to footpaths.

Two young women, said by police to have fainted, were taken from the City Watchhouse to the Royal Brisbane Hospital by ambulance. Onlookers said other demonstrators were punched and kicked by police and one man on crutches was knocked to the ground and dragged to the footpath.

 

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