Strikers at the Grey statue on Queen Street

Detail of a crowd listening to a speaker at the Grey statue, Auckland, during the 1913 strike (click on thumbnail for full image).

This crowd is being addressed by Robert ‘Bob’ Semple, organiser of the United Federation of Labour, on 30 October. Referring to the special constables armed with batons, Semple was alleged to have encouraged his audience to ‘be ready to club them back’ . Semple was later arrested for making ‘inflammatory speeches’. The statue of Sir George Grey, erected at the intersection of Queen and Wakefield streets in 1905, was a major site for pro-strike speakers and gatherings in 1913.

See more images of Auckland during the 1913 strike here (Flickr)