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3. A CROWD OF ABOUT 400 WHICH WAS JUDGED TO BE AN ILLEGAL ASSEMBLY
AS WELL AS A NUISANCE WAS TOLD TO DISPERSE. A SUBSTANTIAL NUMBER
OF THOSE INVOLVED DID DISPERSE BUT HARD CORE COMMUNISTS REMAINED.
CHANTING AND SHOUTING CONTINUED AND ACTION WAS TAKEN TO DISPERSE
CROWDS IN THE NEIGHBOURING STREETS WHICH REFORMED 3 TIMES BEFORE
FINALLY DISPERSING. ONLY FOUR RIOT PLATOONS WERE INVOLVEO
AND IT WAS SIGNIFICANT THAT THERE WAS NO SPREAD OF THE DISTURBANCE
IN A VERY HEAVILY POPULATED AREA WHERE THE COMMUNISTS MIGHT HAVE
HOPED FOR A DEGREE OF INVOLVEMENT OF THE GENERAL POPULATION.
FOREIGN OFFICE PLEASE PASS PRIORITY PEKING AS MY TELEGRAM NO. 284.
SIR D. TRENCH
[REPEATED AS REQUESTED]
DEPARTMENTAL DISTRIBUTION
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