TNAG-0003-FCO40-39-Commission-of-Enquiry-into-the-Kowloon-disturbances-addition-1968 — Page 31

:

PART III THE DISTURBANCES

23

These addresses seem to have been more inflammatory and LO Kei, in particular, appears to have injected something of a racial touch by shouting, 'We are all Chinese living in a Colony, should Colonialism continue to exist?". But this attracted no particular reaction and the crowd then moved off again along Salisbury Road into Nathan Road, diverting to the right through Humphreys Avenue, Carnarvon Road, Austin Avenue and Austin Road, and then returning to Nathan Road. Some evidence suggests that, near the junction of Austin and Nathan Roads, RAGGENSACK again addressed them, although he himself denied this. They were now about 300 strong and, just before midnight, moved off again in straggling groups northwards along Nathan Road, causing some obstruction. Half an hour later they were in the vicinity of the Shek Kip Mei Resettlement Estate. Slogans protesting against the fare increase and supporting Mrs. ELLIOTT were being shouted and the crowd was said to be in a boisterous mood. They worked their way through the Resettlement Estate, proceeding to the junction of Tai Hang Sai and Tai Hang Tung Roads, where they were addressed briefly by three Chinese males. The number, by this time, was about 400, almost entirely youths and children. They then retraced their steps and walked down Castle Peak Road against the traffic to the Li Cheng Uk Resettlement Estate. At the junction of Wai Wai Road and Tonkin Street and again at the junction of Wai Wai Road and Wing Lung Street they stopped and squatted in the road and shouted the same slogans as before. They processed round the western end of the Resettlement Estate, con- tinued northwards along Po On Road towards Lai Chi Kok, then entered Castle Peak Road and headed southwards. They stopped twice and squatted on Castle Peak Road, traffic being obstructed. The word 'protest' in Chinese was frequently heard.

101. The crowd was still about 400 strong, generally amenable to police direction and not causing much obstruction to traffic, but it was tending to get tumultuous. Mr. SUTCLIFFE had been alerted at 1.30 a.m. At about 2.30 a.m. near the junction of Prince Edward Road and Nathan Road, he stopped the leaders and warned them to behave in an orderly way and not to cause obstruction. The march was then resumed towards the Star Ferry which was reached about 3.30 a.m. Mr. SUTCLIFFE addressed the crowd again, saying that he could permit no further processions and asked them to disperse peacefully. This was greeted with cries of 'Objection, objection'. They tried to move off towards Salisbury Road but were stopped by a police cordon. A Chinese television cameraman, in a most commendable effort to preserve public order, suggested it might be helpful if he addressed them as the demonstrators were youthful and probably not fully aware of the implications of what they were doing, but his appeals were ineffective and met with some jeers. They were allowed to pass the cordon in small groups of five but these immediately started to link up again, on the far side of the cordon, and returned to the Star Ferry concourse area. Mr. SUTCLIFFE approached the ring-leaders but was quickly surrounded and cut off from the other police officers.