S1.E5: Rant, Roar and Riot

Season 1, Episode 5

Time: 5:43

Rant, Roar and Riot

Colonial Building Riot, Wikimedia Commons/PANL, Public Domain.

On April 5th, 1932 an angry mob descended on the Colonial Building in St. John’s, NL.

They demanded to see the Prime Minister, Sir Richard Squires.

When they weren’t given an immediate audience, it did not go well and made headlines around the world:

“Following a turbulent day in which an infuriated mob of 10,000 persons besieged and wrecked the Newfoundland legislative building and completely demoralized the police and other civil forces, Sir Richard Squires, Prime Minister of Britain’s oldest colony, was beaten and trampled on this evening until he promised to resign.”

— New York Times, April 6, 1932

Read the Blog Post

Read the blog post for more information, references and images.

HERE: Rant, Roar and Riot… Like True Newfoundlanders

Colonial Building, St. John’s, NL

Sources & Further Reading

1. Book: The Story of the Colonial Building (PDF)

2. Heritage NL: Riot of April 5, 1932: Civil Unrest

3. Time Magazine, June 27, 1932: Squires & Lady Unseated

---