TNAG-0003-FCO40-39-Commission-of-Enquiry-into-the-Kowloon-disturbances-addition-1968 — Page 141

PART VI CONCLUSIONS

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a European, and when an American was surrounded and hustled for a time, appear- ing to be in some danger of maltreatment, but kept his head and his temper admirably, according to the newspaper man who recounted this incident, and was thus able to escape from any more serious assault.

440. There may well have been infiltration by more criminal elements at some stages, but, having seen and heard the original demonstrators in the witness box, we have little reason to doubt that many of them would have been quite ready, on the evening of the 6th, to throw stones at the police or at passing traffic and play the sort of hide and seek that was so vividly described by many witnesses. The potential for violence was demonstrated on the previous evening when police orders were defied and Mr. SUTCLIFFE was assaulted by at least one demonstrator, who subsequently resisted arrest.

441. The picture presented by these riots, as in many cases elsewhere, shows how readily, in a crowded urban environment, one incident can lead on to another and how easily relatively innocent but excitable youths can get drawn into actions which at first may seem rather fun little more than shouting, gesticulating, laughing, making a noise, throwing a stone and running away from somebody who is trying to catch you. The further step to breaking and looting is not a difficult transition. We think this transition was the real source of the violence, although there may have been, on occasions, a hard stratum of more determined and more ruthless individuals, anxious to heighten tension, and not merely to create disorder but to exploit it; individuals who could quickly gather round them, and, if necessary, egg on the more excitable but less committed by-stander or teen- ager who was ready to have a go'. The fact that in 'having a go' he made his target the police, buses, parking meters or the private car carries little special significance because these appear to be the normal targets in teenage riots throughout the world.

Summary

442. One could perhaps sum up all this by saying that the scene was set for demonstrations through a partial failure of communications over the Star Ferry application, and a consequent wide divergence on this issue between informed and uninformed opinion as well as by a campaign which drew attention away from the real point for decision towards an area where feelings and emotions tended to play a dominant part. Against this background, the disturbances in Kowloon on April 5th and 6th sprang from a protest by one demonstrator who captured the passive interest and sympathy of a substantial section of the public and the active support of a small group of young people. This demonstrator was strongly moti- vated by the campaign in opposition to ferry fares and by political views which had little connection with that issue. His arrest by the police occurred after publicity had drawn towards him a considerable measure of 'hero-worship' and this gave his supporters the advantages of contact with 'martyrdom' as well as increased