tense, it did not degenerate into violence. At 6 p.m. there was an in- cident outside the Hilton Hotel, which indicated the mood of the crowd but may also have helped to reduce the tension. At that time, in accord- ance with usual practice, the hotel flag was lowered. A rumour went round that the management had been intimidated into taking this action and there was a good deal of clapping and cheering at this 'victory'. Shortly afterwards the crowd dispersed and the evening passed off quietly.
39. That evening an announcement was made through the Govern- ment Information Services that unruly demonstrations of this sort would not be tolerated. It was not intended to deprive any person of his right to petition the Governor and the presentation of petitions by small orderly groups would be permitted; disorderly processions or unlawful gatherings would not be allowed.
40. In spite of this warning, crowds began to gather at the foot of Garden Road on the morning of the 21st May which was a Sunday. Garden Road was closed to traffic and a Police cordon was set up. At about 10.30 a.m. a group of about 60 persons demanded to be allowed past the Police cordon. They were told that they would be allowed to proceed in groups of not more than 20 persons at a time; they refused this offer and hurled abuse and threats at the Police. More processions arrived and by 11.30 there were about 500 demonstrators and about 150 spectators facing the Police. Led by a man with a loud-hailer they shouted at the Police to join them: 'Now is the time to turn: unity is strength' and 'Constables, turn on your English masters'. As before, the Police were unmoved and the mob eventually dispersed.
41. Meanwhile crowds had also built up in Queen's Road. At about 1 p.m., when the crowd was estimated to be over a thousand, a scuffle developed outside the Hilton Hotel brought about by some communist youths attacking a photographer. Some windows in the hotel were broken and demands were made that the flag should be lowered. In Statue Square a group of hooligans pulled the wooden shutters off shops and threw them on the tram tracks. The mood of the crowds everywhere was threatening and hostile. They were, however, contained by the Police and, soon after 3 p.m., they began to move away from the central area. One section went slowly westward along Queen's Road, Pedder Street and Connaught Road. There were several clashes with the Police on the way, outside the General Post Office (where the Police fired tear gas shells and made a baton charge) in Connaught Road,
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