Police opened fire. One man was killed and 79 men and 7 women were arrested.
146. On 8th November a Police party in Lai Chi Kok Road arrested two men whom they saw placing a suspected bomb on the road. They were surrounded by a hostile crowd and a second bomb was thrown from the crowd which exploded and set off the first bomb as well. All eight of the Police party were injured in the explosion, one of the men arrested was killed and 34 bystanders were injured, one of whom died later in hospital. The other man who had been arrested tried to snatch a policeman's revolver and was shot dead on the spot.
147. In November two bombs were set in the drive of the house occupied by one of the magistrates dealing with confrontation cases. One of the bombs exploded, damaging the magistrate's car, but fortunately causing no personal injury. This incident reflected the attempts that were made to overawe the courts. Since confrontation began the com- munists took the line that their activities were 'patriotic' and not criminal. They held protest demonstrations outside the courts where cases were heard, and on more than one occasion the Police had to use force to disperse the disorderly crowds that resulted. Inside the courts many of the accused, with their supporters, expressed their contempt for authority by refusing to stand when the magistrate or judge entered, by shouting insults and by chanting slogans. The behaviour of school- children brought before the courts was particularly arrogant and pro- vocative. They loudly claimed that they had committed no offence and they openly abused their parents if they offered to pay their fines or to sign bonds for their good behaviour.
148. These tactics were dealt with firmly and the authority of the courts was maintained. Where necessary the court-room was cleared of spectators and the contempt displayed by the accused was properly punished. Between May and the end of December nearly 2,000 persons were convicted of offences arising from confrontation.
149. Bomb attacks continued intermittently until December. The visit to the Colony in October of the Minister of State for Common- wealth Affairs, Lord Shepherd, was the signal for increased activity in bomb planting and at the end of the month some attempts were made to disrupt Hong Kong Week by this means. The exhibition had been set up to display for overseas buyers the quality of textiles and other goods produced in Hong Kong. The communist press claimed, quite
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