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PART III THE DISTURBANCES
43
Il pots, pieces of wood, cement and rubbish were dropped on them from the build- ings between Austin Road and Jordan Road; although the crowds ahead of them dispersed very quickly into the side streets. The company completed its northern sweep and was then sent southwards to the Tsim Sha Tsui area, again having to clear the road of debris, as they moved. They went as far as Peking Road, meeting Headquarter company at Haiphong Road, then turned north again. The main focus of trouble was now tending to shift north of Waterloo Road but before turning to that area it is necessary to mention one more operation to the south.
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156. At about 1.50 a.m. on the morning of the 7th, Mr. ROSE returned the command of the Yau Ma Tei company to Mr. FERGUS with instructions to carry out a sweep of the area between Jordan Road and Austin Road. For this purpose No. 2 platoon of the company arrived at the junction of Nathan and Jordan d Roads and found rioters setting fire to a vehicle and throwing stones. Tear smoke was fired; in addition it was found necessary, on the orders of the platoon com- mander to fire six rounds of revolver and one of sterling gun ammunition before the crowd dispersed. No casualties were, however, seen. A few minutes later, the remaining two platoons and the company commander arrived in the area, the intention being to move one platoon down Nathan Road and the others down the roads to the west of it, in order to concentrate again further south on Nathan Road. However, as the platoons were alighting in Jordan Road near Pilkem Street, a barrage of flower pots and rubbish from a building, named 'Lucky Mansion' descended on them from a 12th storey stairway window. At 1.30 a.m. orders had been issued from Colony Police Operations room directing the use of all force, including firearms if lawful and justified, to suppress disorder. On Mr. FERGUS' instruction four shots were fired at this window. As far as is known, no one was hit but the barrage of rubbish and flower pots stopped.
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157. The imposition of the curfew at 1.30 a.m. had also been announced, but there were, Mr. FERGUS said, still many people about and these were told over the company's loud hailers and, on occasions, in direct conversation that they should go home.
158. As the company moved further south and came near Mirador Mansion, missiles again began to descend from this multi-storey building and, at one stage, a bottle came through the roof of one of the trucks. In this area, at this time, the police found it necessary to fire shots on a number of occasions at individuals throwing missiles including litter bins from roofs and stairways of high buildings as they had no other means of prevention available to them. Details of these shots are shown in Annex 10. So far as is known, no casualties were caused but we were told that the shots were effective in causing at any rate a temporary cessation in the missile throwing. Once this had been stopped, there was little further trouble in the area, which the platoons continued to patrol. Mr. FERGUS, returning to the Yau Ma Tei Police Station, found a crowd of about 50 collecting outside, but they
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