In Christchurch on 29 April 1918, in response to the conscription ballot of married men (known as the Second Division), a group of over 5,000 (mainly women) disrupted the call up, fought with the Police, and even stormed the King Edward Barracks.

Tensions had flared the day before, when over 1,600 women and men attended a monster public meeting organised by the Second Division League and chaired by the Christchurch mayor. ‘We won’t go into camp!’ cried men from the floor. A flustered official at the podium ‘moved that the meeting insist that the government grant its demands immediately.’ But then Edward Langley and John Flood, both watersiders, jumped to their feet and moved that ‘no Second Division man shall leave for camp until the demands of the League are acceded to.’ The audience went wild. ’Stand out! Stand out!’ yelled the audience, ‘Don’t go to camp!’

The next day the city was electric as thousands of women, their babies and children in hand, gathered at King Edward Barracks to prevent the mobilisation. Army officers were jeered, raised fists were directed at the Mayor, and when police attempted to arrest one of the crowd, about 300 rushed the barracks en masse to make a ‘de-arrest’. Police were said to have had ‘a distinctly bad quarter of an hour. One was beaten by a woman with an umbrella.’ Thanks to the women’s direct action, the person was freed and half the balloted men were unable to be processed.

Patriots raged against the so-called rioting and mutiny. Edward and John, who had moved the incendiary motion, were sentenced to six months’ imprisonment for sedition and the seconder, city councillor Hiram Hunter, was given three months. But in order to diffuse the situation their sentences were eventually quashed.

In this letter of 14 May 1918 to Prime Minister William Massey, Defence Minister James Allen mentions their sentence and his belief that IWW agitators and anti-militarists had caused the trouble in Christchurch.

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Caption information from ‘The Great Wrong War’ by Stevan Eldred-Grigg, and research by Steven Loveridge