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PART IV
THE MEASURES TAKEN TO DEAL WITH THE DISTURBANCES
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and at private vehicles. The evidence which we were given as to the tactics employed by the police in dealing with the disturbances on this night is summarized in the following paragraphs.
231. On receipt of the reports of the worsening situation, the District Com- mander despatched his Second-in-Command to make a personal assessment. Almost immediately Mr. ROSE ran into large unruly crowds near Waterloo Road and the H.Q. company was despatched to his assistance. Having checked that all was quiet in other divisions, the District Commander then ordered a further two companies to proceed to the scene of the trouble by different routes in order to form a box round Mr. ROSE and to contain the disturbances in Yau Ma Tei District.
232. These three companies were placed under the command of Mr. ROSE. Generally speaking, the strategy of containing and suppressing the disturbances in the Yau Ma Tei area and preventing their spread to the densely populated resettlement estates to the north was successful and, until about midnight, the disorders were contained in the area south of Argyle Street. However the disturbances gradually re, spread north, owing to the highly mobile nature of the crowds, which dispersed when the police sought to engage them and reappeared elsewhere through the side street off Nathan Road.
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233. The main actions of the night have already been described in Part III ter and the imposition of the curfew is dealt with in Chapter 2 of this Part. The only lat other points to be noted are:
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(a) At 10.50 p.m. full Force mobilization was ordered, and, shortly after, the Auxiliary Police, who had been placed on standby, were mobilized.
(b) At 12.05 a.m. H.Q. company, while dealing with an incident in Tsim Sha Tsui, was instructed by Pol./Mil. H.Q. to use firearms, if lawfully justified, to preserve life and property. This was followed at 1.30 a.m. by an in- struction from the CP Ops Room to all district commanders to use all force necessary, including firearms if lawful and justified, to suppress disorders. The occasions on which firearms were used are dealt with in paragraphs 247-252 below.
(c) At 1.05 a.m. H.E. The Governor agreed to the use of troops in aid of the civil power. The use to which troops were put is dealt with in Chapter 3 of this Part.
234. The measures taken by the police were effective in bringing the situation under control after considerable damage had been done but without loss of life and with comparatively little injury to individuals; so little indeed that many were getting ready, as events would show, to seek further excitement on the following night.
235. Whilst the riots on this night were profoundly disturbing and must have appeared full of menace to many who saw them, there was, fortunately, little or