occupied the area, and erected huts thereon. From the point f view of the community at large the area, consisting as it did of a disordered cluster of overcrowded wooden huts without proper sanitary arrangements, presented grave danger to health and a serious risk of fire. As a normal administrative measure of precaution therefore against the threat of fire and disease, the Hong Kong Government decided that the huts must be removed. Eviction notices were accordingly scrved on the 27th November on the occupants of the huts, some 54 in number. The date of expiry of the notices was the 11th December 1947. The squatters failed to comply with the notices and summonses were then issued by the Court. Alternative sites were offered them and it was open to them to remove the materials of their existing huts to those sites. The case came before the Court on the 16th December and eviction orders were made. A translation of the Magistrate's order and the notice offering alternative sites was published in the Fress on the 17th December and copies were served on the squatters on the 22nd and 29th December. Eviction and dismantling of the huts was carried out without disturbance on the 5th January.
5. On the 7th January the magistrate of Po On District of Kwangtung Province adjoining Hong Kong, paid a visit to the so-called "alled City", accompanied by several of his officials including Health and Police Advisers. A meeting was held when he addressed the crowd under the Chinese flag. This was interpreted in the Chinese press as reaffirming Chinese sovereignty. In defiance of the Court's order, a number of huts were illegally re-erected on the former sites. Police action to move them on the 12th January was met by resistance. As the police party approached through a narrow alley leading to the "alled City", they were met by loud shouts and a heavy barrage of stones from a crowd of over 100 persons. Several of the police were hit and the mob was obviously acting on a prearranged plan. Police efforts to quieten the mob were drowned in the clamour, and it was necessary for the police then to fire warning
shots /