Police attack, July 1, 1935

The Trekkers and citizen support groups had decided to call a public meeting on the Market Square on the evening of July 1, Dominion Day, to bring the public up to date on what had happened so far. It was attended by some 1,500 to 2,000 people of whom 300 were Trekkers. The main body of the Trekkers had decided to stay in their camp at the Exhibition Grounds that night.

The meeting began at 8.00 p.m. Three large vans were parked on three sides of the square concealing RCMP riot sqauds. A whistle was blown and out charged RCMP. City police did likewise, having also been concealed in a nearby garage. The police began indiscriminately clubbing everyone within reach.

The attack caught everyone by surprise but then anger took over. People grabbed anything available to fight back - stones, sticks, and anything else lying around.

Then RCMP on horseback also charged into the crowd with their clubs.

Driven from the Square,the battle continued in the surrounding streets for four hours.

Evans and other Trekkers on the speakers' platform were arrested by a body of police in plain clothes.

The police began firing their revolvers above and into groups of people. Tear gas bombs were thrown at any groups that gathered together.

In the course of the battle plate glass windows in stores and offices were smashed. However, with one exception, there was no looting.

Some Trekkers and their citizen supporters covered their faces with wet handkerchiefs to counter the effects of the tear gas. They barricaded streets with cars.

Finally the Trekkers who had attended the meeting made their way individually or in small groups back to the Stadium where they were quartered.

When it was over, 120 Trekkers and citizens had been arrested and one plain clothes policeman killed. Hundreds of local citizens and Trekkers who had been wounded by police gunfire or otherwise injured were taken to hospitals or private homes. Those taken to hospital were also arrested.

Property damage was considerable.

The police claimed 39 injuries in addition to the one in plain clothes who had been killed.

The Stadium was surrounded by constables armed with revolvers and machine guns. Next day a barbed wire stockade was erected around the stadium. The Trekkers in the stadium were denied any food or water.

News of the police-inspired riot made the front page in newspapers across Canada.

About midnight one of the Trek leaders telephoned Premier Gardiner who agreed to meet their delegation, led by Mike McCauley, the next morning. The RCMP were livid when they heard of this. They took the men to the police station for interrogation but finally released them so they could see the premier.

Premier Gardiner sent a wire to Prime Minister Bennett accusing the police of "precipitating a riot" while he had been negotiating a settlement with the Trekkers. He also told the prime minister the "men should be fed where they are and sent back to camp and homes as they request" and stated his government was prepared to "undertake this work of disbanding the men." An agreement to this effect was subsequently negotiated.

Prime Minister Bennett was satisfied that he had smashed the Trek and taught the citizens of Regina a lesson. Gardiner was happy that he was getting rid of the strikers from Regina and the province.

The federal minister of justice made the false statement in the House of Commons on July 2 that "shots were fired by the strikers and the fire was replied to with shots from the city police."

During the long course of the trials that followed no evidence was ever produced by the Crown that strikers had ever fired any shots.

Prime Minister Bennett further added to the misrepresentation by stating in the House of Commons the same day that the Trek was "not a mere uprising against law and order but a definite revolutionary effort on the part of a group of men to usurp authority and destroy government."

Little did they know what the political repercussions of their forcible suppression of a protest movement against the relief camps would be.

next .....Aftermath