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declared in certain areas to help control the situation.
Chinese Government's Statement
6. On 15th May the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued
a statement castigating the Hong Kong authorities for "Fascist
atrocities", hostility to the Chinese people and "collusion with
the United States Imperialists". The statement included a demand
that Her Majesty's Government should instruct the Hong Kong
Government to accept all the local pro-communist demands which the
Chinese must have known to be unacceptable to the Hong Kong
Government.
The statement was the strongest and most abusive about
Hong Kong for some years.
7. No direct reply was given to the Chinese Government statement
but on the 17th May a statement was released in London referring
to the industrial origin of the disturbances and stating that "H.M.G.
fully support the Hong Kong Government in fulfilling its duty both
in maintaining law and order and in the efforts it is making to
bring about a settlement of the industrial dispute".
8. From the 18th May the campaign switched from Kowloon to
Government House on Hong Kong island. At first the demonstrators
were noisy and abusive. Petitions were presented and Government
House was plastered with posters.
9.
On the 20th May the demonstrations began to lose their orderly
and disciplined nature and the demonstrators started to resort to
rowdiness and violence by molesting spectators and blocking roads,
particularly in the area of Statue Square and the Law Courts.
Loudspeakers on the Bank of China buildings adopted an anti-British
tone and included such slogans as "Kill Trench" "British murderers",
etc.
10. The Hong Kong Government issued notices stating that dis-
orderly processions or unlawful gatherings would not be allowed but
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