1.
GV PAN..Crowds gathered for meeting
0.10

2.
CU Crowd
0.15

3.
CU Men wear (Malawi Party) hat
0.19

4.
SV Crowds being pushed back
0.23

5.
GV Crowds, starts to train
0.27

6.
LV Banda arrives in car waving
0.32

7.
CU DITTO
0.37

8.
SV People take pictures
0.38

9.
CU Banda in tent, talks to crowd
0.45

10.
SV People outside tent (raining)
0.49

11.
CU Banda talking
0.52

12.
CU Crowds in rain
0.57

13.
GV Police and crowd after disturbance
0.59

14.
GV Crowd, PAN to wrecked tent
1.04

15.
SV Police escorts man away
1.08

16.
LV Police sending back crowd
1.12

17.
LV Police chases crowd throwing tear gas, PAN to crowd running
1.20

18.
GV Police marching in
1.23

19.
SV Police hitting man
1.30

20.
SV Police escorts man away
1.36

21.
SV DITTO
1.39

22.
SV Wrecked tent
1.44

23.
GV DITTO
1.48



Initials TDH/S/JH/ES



Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved

Background: A VISNEWS cameraman's equipment was reported to have sparked off rioting among thousands of Africans listening to Dr Hastings Handa on the second day of a "Peace and Calm Conference" on a farm near Blantyre, Nyasaland, Jan. 22.

A newspaper report from Salisbury, Southern Rhodesia, said his camera, fitted with a telescopic lens and pistol grip, confused Africans who thought he was a "gunman" aiming at the Malawi Congress party leader, Dr Hastings Banda. In panic to protect him they started a riot. After a severe attack by the incensed crowd, during which his camera and film were damaged, our photographer - John Hamlin - managed to gain refuge in a police truck.

Pouring rain added to the confusion. Hundreds of Africans were trampled underfoot, and the makeshift platform on which Dr Handa was speaking was pulled to the ground. He was carried safely to a car. After the initial rush, a huge gathered in a wide circle around the police and attacked them with a shower of stones. Police retaliated with tear gas and baton charges.

Sufficiently recovered, Hamlin managed to repair his camera and film as police broke the rioters into small groups. These were chased and dispersed. Twenty-five Africans were injured, one fatally, and police retained sixteen others.