PART III THE DISTURBANCES

35

ent and the fourth (Plate 17) in the side street off Nathan Road by the Yau Ma Tei the Government School. In time, he placed the first of the three photographs (Plate 13) ger at about 10 o'clock; Plate 14 at about 10.10 p.m.; Plate 15 at about 10.20 p.m. and ear Plate 17 at about 10.40 p.m.; though we are inclined to think the intervals may ere have been somewhat shorter. He said the first of these pictures was taken before ths the arrival of the police; the second was taken before the arrival of the police Igh on foot, although there were police vans passing by, which did not stop as they were being stoned, but the last was taken after the crowd had been dispersed into ad the side streets by the police. He was emphatic that before taking the first picture,

nd

OW

the crowd had been stoning cars and buses but had stopped momentarily, as there uc- were no cars at that moment to chase. He said sticks and stones were thrown at the bus in Plate 14 and several of its windows were smashed. He said some rry

it of the crowd were advising people not to throw stones but others were encourag- nd ing the stoning. He confirmed that the debris at the bottom of the picture was shattered glass. As for the car shown in Plate 16 which, under a magnifying glass, by appears also to be just discernible in Plate 13, he said, he heard people shouting that a Government car was coming-some were suggesting overturning the car, others suggested wrecking it but some press reporters around informed the crowd that the vehicle in fact belonged to the newspapers circle', the crowd hestitated and the driver, seeing an opportunity, made off.

to

rs,

On

OW

ra- 139. This brings us back to the reporter who had accompanied the group of Chi demonstrators that came down from Sham Shui Po. He told us that shortly after

this group arrived, he saw the same incident; the car being surrounded and some- nt body saying, 'this car with an 8 number is a Government car. Let's burn it or ng wreck it'. He said the youth shown in Plate 16 was urging the crowd to burn the ry car, but he told the crowd that the car was for newspapers only. When Mr. on WILLIS, the Acting Deputy Director of Information Services, in the car, tried to 00 get out, someone in the crowd sought to interfere with him, but this reporter again

intervened, and the driver was able to restart his car and get away.

ne

88 2 3 2 2 2 2

ks

ng

re

is

ad

10

140. This same reporter told us of a photographer, who had taken a flashlight picture somewhat later, about 11 p.m., being surrounded by a crowd of 300 or so, demanding that he hand over his film. When they were told that he was a reporter for a certain newspaper, they desisted, saying the paper could speak for them to the Government. This temporary hostility was in contrast to the attitude shown earlier in the evening towards reporters and photographers, when those concerned seemed very anxious to get as much publicity as they could.

at 141. It seems that turmoil was now getting fairly general in the area with 1s rioters throwing stones at the police and at vehicles and smashing buses with h bamboo poles; flower pots and other missiles were coming from the higher ee buildings. But before returning to the police account of these events, let us take

up one more report from a journalist.

ia

Share This Page