"Though the actual damage done is serious, it is not nearly as grave as the exhibition of savagery that produced it.”
Immediate Aftermath of Riot Actions
A state of siege settled on the main centres following the riots, with specials guarding the streets, all outdoor meetings banned and shop windows boarded up for weeks, but there was no further trouble as the government acted with decisive legislation curtailing the power to protest.
For once, the government was able to be decisive in its actions and passed the Public Safety Conservation Act which gave the authorities draconian powers to maintain order and this did help deter further violent action. In total across the four centres, 185 offenders were prosecuted for their part in the riots. Many, including Jim Edwards who hid from the police for six weeks before giving himself up, got two year prison sentences with hard labour. A number of protesters and activists were arrested in the following years for ‘inciting disorder,’ breaching by-laws against public speaking and distributing ‘seditious’ literature.
In Christchurch, the trade union movement also showed an attempt to resist Depression cutbacks through direct action. An open trade union conference in March and April 1932 had showed promise in campaigning for petitions, demonstrations and meetings, however it came to no decisive conclusions because of the government’s post-riot clampdown on all public meetings. In late 1932 and early 1933, the major industrial unions – freezing workers, waterside workers, coal-miners and seamen – each struck in protest at wage cuts, however because there were a large number of unemployed looking for any sorts of jobs, it did not become much of a disturbance to employers. Therefore, union militancy fell away rapidly. Union membership tumbled from 104,000 in 1928 to 72,000 in 1933. The number working days lost to strike action fell significantly from 108,000 in 1932 to just 10,000 in 1934. Relief workers, organised by the communist-influenced UWM and other competing groups, also protested noisily and even went on strike, but came to no desirable outcomes. In Auckland, the UWM’s Anti-Eviction Committee barricaded tenants’ houses against bailiffs, and a hunger march from Gisborne to Wellington in early 1934 resulted in few concession from the government, despite it having gained widespread attention.
In Christchurch, the trade union movement also showed an attempt to resist Depression cutbacks through direct action. An open trade union conference in March and April 1932 had showed promise in campaigning for petitions, demonstrations and meetings, however it came to no decisive conclusions because of the government’s post-riot clampdown on all public meetings. In late 1932 and early 1933, the major industrial unions – freezing workers, waterside workers, coal-miners and seamen – each struck in protest at wage cuts, however because there were a large number of unemployed looking for any sorts of jobs, it did not become much of a disturbance to employers. Therefore, union militancy fell away rapidly. Union membership tumbled from 104,000 in 1928 to 72,000 in 1933. The number working days lost to strike action fell significantly from 108,000 in 1932 to just 10,000 in 1934. Relief workers, organised by the communist-influenced UWM and other competing groups, also protested noisily and even went on strike, but came to no desirable outcomes. In Auckland, the UWM’s Anti-Eviction Committee barricaded tenants’ houses against bailiffs, and a hunger march from Gisborne to Wellington in early 1934 resulted in few concession from the government, despite it having gained widespread attention.
Aftermath of the Queen Street Riot
Arrests and casualities were the result of all the riots which took place, but the greatest extend of damage was done in Auckland following the Queen Street Riot. During the clashes, two hundred people were injured and
eight were taken to the hospital. The first order of peace came later that
night when sailors fixed with bayonets marched through the city centre. The next
day, people from all over Auckland came to Queens Street to survey the damage
and as one reporter for the Auckland Star
puts it, “incredulity and dismay were
written on every face.” The whole country was shocked by the brutality
displayed by Aucklanders that day and the extent of damage which occurred in
the space of just a few hours. The reporter continued saying “this is one of the most orderly communities
in the world, and the orgy of destruction and thieving that suddenly developed
in the heart of the city strikes the average citizen as all the more horrible
because he has never seen anything like it before in his own country...Though
the actual damage done is serious, it is not nearly as grave as the exhibition of
savagery that produced it.” It seemed that the people in Auckland forgot
their morals for the time being and acted simply on impulse. The New Zealand Herald summed up its article
with the title “Mad Orgy. Uncontrolled
Mob. Wanton Destruction.”
Auckland Mayor George Hutchison took control of the
situation by asking citizens to come forward and offer their assistance to the
police. Almost immediately, there were hundreds of Aucklanders coming to police
stations to offer their services. Three hundred special constables were sworn
in. On top of this, two squadrons of the Waikato Mounted Rifles also volunteered
to defend civil order. Hutchison put a temporary ban on all public meetings and
street processions. Reinforced by armed sailors and volunteers, the police
gained control of the situation a few hours later. 35 looters were arrested. Any
sign for further action or plan for protests, he said, would conclude with the
summoning of the Riot Act, under which he would have the power to order forces
to fire on a crowd refusing to disperse.
An hour after the Riot Act had been ready, if the crowd did not immediately disperse, every person who remained in the vicinity would then be liable to arrest and imprisonment for life.
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The following night, there was a further disorder on
Auckland’s Karangahpe Road, but this time, there were a lot less people
involved and the situation was much more easily controlled. A further 35
protestors were arrested that night and 50 were injured. Although on a smaller
scale to the previous day, there was still violence and large numbers of
windows smashed. Edwards went into hiding for a few months after the Auckland
riots, however he was arrested later and sentenced to two years in prison for
his ‘still-ambiguous’ role in the riots. After the K Road riot, Auckland returned
to calm.