Riots in Palestine

SEQUEL TO FORBIDDEN PROCESSION

TWENTY PERSONS KILLED--MORE DISTURBANCES EXPECTED

LONDON. Saturday.

Rioting occurred in Jaffa, Palestine, yesterday afternoon, and a communique was issued by the High Commissioner of Palestine.

It states that an Arab Executive Committee announced their Intention to hold, on October 27, a political demonstration in Jaffa, similar to that disallowed in Jerusalem on October 13. The High Commissioner received the President and members of the Arab Executive on October 25, and informed them that no political procession or demonstration would be allowed in Jaffa, but that members of the executive would be permitted to proceed to the District Office ard there hand in a protest or manifesto to the District Commissioner for transmission to His Excellency.

Despite the High Commissioner's prohibition, a procession was formed yesterday in the neighborhood of the Government Office in Jaffa. It began to move, and was ordered to disperse. This injunction was disobeyed, and the police were assaulted. The police were compelled to make a baton charge to disperse the mob, which however, re-formed, and again attacked the police. Shots were fired from the crowd at the police who were compelled in self-defence to fire a few rounds under control. After an hour and a half the rioters were dispersed by the police, and quiet was restored.

Reports show that the police throughout displayed great control and forbearance. The military were not called upon, as the police had the situation in hand.

The "Daily Mail's" correspondent at Jaffa reported that 20 persons were killed in disturbances which occurred where the armies of Richard Coeur De Lion, Alexander and Napoleon once fought.

The police carried 200 rounds of ammunition and used special steel shields to ward off blows and missiles. Barbed wire surrounded public buildings and strategic points. The police confiscated the weapons of everyone entering the city and stopped and searched cars.

Heavy detachments barred the approaches to the Central Square, where the drone of Mohammedans praying in the mosque suddenly became an excited roar as thousands of Arabs surged through the gates into the square. Mounted police fruitlessly essayed to charge, but the horses slipped on the asphalt.

A constable was dragged from his horse and was beaten with bottles and chairs taken from a cafe. When the police eventually fired volleys the massed Arabs fled and many were crushed and trampled underfoot. An unexploded bomb was found after the retreat.

Last night the curfew was ordered for 8 o'clock, and was enforced by hundreds of police, who were assisted by the Trans-Jordan frontier force. The Jewish suburb of Tel Aviv, the centre of jewry in Palestine, containing 60,000 Jews, more than half the city's population, was specially guarded.

The disturbances were the culmination of Arab resentment at the intensification of Jewish migration following the Jews' ejection from Germany. The antagonism is also becoming anti-British owing to the belief that Britain is responsible for the Jewish influx and acquisition of land. The British forces are regarded as adequate to deal with any situation.

Disturbances occurred at Haifa, where the police fired in the air to disperse a mob excited by the news from Jaffa.

As a result of the Jaffa disturbances, a crowd attacked a police station in Jerusalem. Baton charges were fruitless, so the police fired, killing two persons and wounding several others. One policeman was stabbed. Similar rioting occurred at Nablus, a crowd attacking the railway station. The police fired, killing one person. Further disturbances are expected when the dead rioters are buried.

The Air Force rushed a squadron of aeroplanes from Egypt.