TNAG-0017-FCO40-53-Kowloon-disturbances-1968 — Page 21

CONFIDENTIAL

2.

3. NO ATTEMPT WAS MADE TO INTERFERE WITH THE TWO MAJOR GROUPS, BUT

ACTION HAD TO BE TAKEN TO BLOCK ACCESS FROM THE WEST INTO CENTRAL

DISTRICT, TO PREVENT LARGE GROUPS MOVING ALONG THE ROADS FROM JOINING

UP WITH THE ALREADY LARGE CONCENTRATIONS OUTSIDE THE BANK OF

CHINA. AT 11 P.M. AN ORGANISED PROCESSION OF OVER 200 FROM THE

WESTERN AREA TRIED TO ENTER CENTRAL DISTRICT AND DISPERSED ONLY

WHEN THE POLICE MADE A DELIBERATE SHOW OF PREPARING TO FIRE TEAR-

SMOKE. THEREAFTER THE CROWDS OUTSIDE THE BANK DISPERSED OF THEIR OWN

ACCORD AFTER POLICE HAD DEPLOYED IN THE GENERAL AREA. BY 11.45 P.M.

THE SITUATION HAD RETURNED TO NORMAL.

4. CLEARLY THERE WAS SOME DEGREE OF ORGANISATION BEHIND THESE EVENTS,

BUT IT IS BELIEVED THAT THEY WERE INSTIGATED AT A LOW LEVEL AND

NOT BY THE COMMUNIST LEADERSHIP IN HONG KONG, WHICH SEEMS ITSELF

TO HAVE BEEN SURPRISED BY THEM. THE CROWDS OUTSIDE THE BANK WERE

GENERALLY IN A NOISILY FESTIVE MOOD, BUT THOSE SEEKING TO ENTER

CENTRAL DISTRICT FROM THE WEST IN ORGANISED GROUPS DISPLAYED SOME

HOSTILITY WHEN THEY WERE STOPPED.

5. LAST NIGHT'S EVENTS COULD EASILY HAVE TURNED INTO A SERIOUS

INCIDENT AND I CONSIDER THE POLICE ACTED WITH SKILL

AND RESTRAINT IN SUCCESSFULLY CONFINING THEMSELVES TO PREVENTING

THE FORMATION OF UNACCEPTABLY LARGE CROWDS. NO ARRESTS WERE MADE.

THERE IS AS YET NO INDICATION THAT ANYTHING SIMILAR IS PLANNED

FOR TONIGHT, BUT THE TOLERANCE SHOWN YESTERDAY MAY POSSIBLY

ENCOURAGE AN ATTEMPT AT A REPEAT PERFORMANCE. TODAY'S COMMUNIST

PRESS MAKES NO MENTION OF THESE OCCURRENCES.

/F.0. PLEASE

CONFIDENTIAL

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