Tuesday, May 23, 1972
"The youngsters who took part in it have had their publicity. To
prosecute them would be to give them a further prominence and importance
which I do not think they deserve.
"They have already caused substantial inconvenience and very
considerable expense and I think that in these particular circumstances
the right thing to do is to forget about it and not to take any further
action against them."
Mr. Roberts had high praise for the Police who, he stressed,
"handled the whole situation quite superbly.'
11
Decision
He
He did not think his decision not to prosecute would encourage
students to try to use the Central District for future demonstrations.
pointed out that public meetings in Hong Kong were controlled for very good
reasons,
"In a crowded city like ours, the disruption to normal life is
considerable and the danger of an explosion and disorder is very, very great
indeed. This applies whatever the cause whether it is a good one or a
bad one."
-
There was no trouble in the May 13 demonstration for two main reasons,
Mr. Roberts pointed out. Firstly, the situation was handled by the Police
"with the greatest tact and skill." Secondly, a very large number of students
"showed their good sense" by staying away from the demonstration.
As a result, the demonstration was very small compared with what its
organisers had claimed for it.
/The Attorney