negotiate on behalf of the strikers but was rebuffed by the government. Subsequently, 634 policemen were discharged and two were dismissed, about a third of the Victorian Police Force, most of them never to be re-employed as members of the force. Rioting and looting in Melbourne city centre On Friday and Saturday nights, riots and looting occurred in the city, resulting in three deaths, a tram being turned over, plate glass windows being smashed, and merchandise looted from stores. Large crowds gathered to witness what was going on. Constables on point duty were jeered at and harassed by people until they retreated to the Town Hall, where the crowd taunted them to come out. Tramways staff and uniformed sailors helped to direct traffic in the absence of police. A request by the Premier to the Federal Government for troops to prevent and put down trouble was refused, but Sir Harry Chauvel, and other army chiefs, appointed guards at defence establishments. Over the weekend, five thousand volunteer "special constables" were sworn in to help restore order. They were under the direction of Sir John Monash at the Melbourne Town Hall and led by AIF veterans and CMF officers. The special constables were identified by badges and armbands. All of Melbourne's newspapers quickly attributed the rioting and looting to Melbourne's criminal element, but subsequent court records show that most of the offenders who were apprehended were young men and boys without criminal histories. After the strike, its origins and effects were investigated by Monash Royal Commission. The government subsequently improved pay and conditions for police, and legislated to establish a police pension scheme before the end of 1923. Notes Footnotes References Days of Violence: : The 1923 Police strike in Melbourne (1998) Gavin Brown and Robert Haldane Rebel Guardians by Jacqueline Templeton in Strikes: Studies in Twentieth Century Australian Social History (1973) Further reading Contemporary articles from The Age regarding the strike External links When Melbourne Went Mad Forgotten Australia Victorian Labour disputes in Australia Crime in Melbourne History of Victoria (Australia) Law enforcement in Victoria (Australia) Riots and civil disorder in Victoria (Australia) Victorian Police Strike, 1923 Victorian Police Strike, 1923 Police strikes October 1923 events November 1923 events 1920s in Melbourne