The Dunedin Riots
The Dunedin riots were the subject of the unemployed demanding and not receiving any food to survive this harsh poverty they had to endure.
The unemployed crowd gathering in George Street, stopping trams
Dunedin was suffering from actions being undertaken by the unemployed rioting. On January 9th, 1932 a mass procession of unemployed, particularly women began to smash and break windows of grocer’s shops. This was in retaliation to the Dunedin Hospital Board officials who denied their demands for food. By April of 1932 tension had built up ready to erupt. John A. Lee spoke on the 3rd of April to a large audience of 7,000 stating "war against those who are trying to drag the people down to degradation and poverty". By saying this Lee was forecasting violent times ahead in the fight for New Zealand and the people going though poverty. This forecast was expressed in a letter to his wife Millie by writing “the revolution is here”. During April a women’s branch of the UWM began to protest and march to a relief depot pressing for food. Helen Back who was the mayoress at the time went to the crowd and stated that no food was to be given out unless it was a case-by-case basis. The crowd furious and they could not hold back their anger any longer and started to retaliate. The crowd picked up stones throwing them at the relief depot. Many others smashed windows of stores they passed. In the Botanical Gardens a mob clustered ready to cause destruction through the town of Dunedin. The main aim was the grocery stores because of the lack of food people could afford, therefore vandalizing and smashing windows to loot these stores for food was a dire consequence of dire times. The unemployed and poverty perished became distraught and hungry aiming to loot places that would provide some sort of use or nourishment. A group moved on from looting the grocery stores particularly Wardell Brothers store, to then trying to break into the Hospital Board offices. Police had to intervene quickly using batons as a type of dispersal method. In the days to follow many UWM members and those who participated in the riots were then arrested and prosecuted.
The New Zealand Worker newspaper published a poem called ‘The Devils Lament’ on the 18th of May 1932. This poem express’s sympathy from the devil that says The Coalition Government and George Forbes would be able to control hell greater than he could.
“I’m down and out’ the devil said,
He said it with a sob,
There are others, who outclass me,
And I want to quit my job …
There’s Gordon Coates the powerful,
And George Forbes as well
They know more of damnation
Than all the imps of hell”
This primary document is a great perspective in understanding the fury that the New Zealand society held against the Coalition Government. They don’t compare the Government and Forbes with the devil, they are saying he is even crueler than the devil himself. New Zealand has been created into its own level of hell because of the Government. New Zealand is in “damnation” and it is entirely the Governments fault. Many people wanted to protest against the Governments actions and voice their anger and dismay to those who have caused them great pain. This is why the riots had such a driving force of pain and uncontrollable anger.
The New Zealand Worker newspaper published a poem called ‘The Devils Lament’ on the 18th of May 1932. This poem express’s sympathy from the devil that says The Coalition Government and George Forbes would be able to control hell greater than he could.
“I’m down and out’ the devil said,
He said it with a sob,
There are others, who outclass me,
And I want to quit my job …
There’s Gordon Coates the powerful,
And George Forbes as well
They know more of damnation
Than all the imps of hell”
This primary document is a great perspective in understanding the fury that the New Zealand society held against the Coalition Government. They don’t compare the Government and Forbes with the devil, they are saying he is even crueler than the devil himself. New Zealand has been created into its own level of hell because of the Government. New Zealand is in “damnation” and it is entirely the Governments fault. Many people wanted to protest against the Governments actions and voice their anger and dismay to those who have caused them great pain. This is why the riots had such a driving force of pain and uncontrollable anger.