TNAG-0118-FCO40-154-Disturbances-1967-1968-1969 — Page 71

against Police brutality. On 8th May the Rubber and Plastic Workers Union published four demands:

1. the Hong Kong Government must cease its brutality forthwith

and ensure no repetition;

2.

3.

4.

all the arrested persons must be released immediately;

compensation must be paid by Government for all injuries and damage and those responsible must be punished;

there must be no Government interference in labour disputes.

The communist Federation of Trade Unions declared its support and published its own demands, in substantially the same form as those already made. Confrontation had begun.

CHAPTER 3

DISORDERS IN KOWLOON

18. Meanwhile demonstrations at San Po Kong continued. The factory was picketed and groups of communists assembled in the vicinity to sing and chant slogans. Pamphlets were handed out extolling the cause of the workers while posters appeared urging the Police to turn against their officers. These demonstrations inevitably attracted a crowd of people, some of whom were merely curious while others were hooli- gans ready to cause trouble. At this time the reputation of the Police was suffering from the after effects of the brief rioting in Kowloon of the previous year. All thinking people had admired the restraint with which they had acted but there were not wanting those who, for reasons of their own, had maliciously spread stories of their alleged brutality; and much of this mud had stuck. At all events, while there was a complete volte face of opinion as confrontation progressed, there were at this stage many who regarded the Police as their enemies and who were quite prepared to jeer and throw stones, or even proceed to more violent action if the occasion arose. These feelings were worked upon by the communists who, as later evidence showed, offered bribes to provoke a disturbance; the going rate was said to be $10 to throw stones and $5 to shout, with rather less for children. The crowds watching the demonstrations grew daily and when the inevitable clash with the Police occurred on 11th May there was a mob at hand ripe for violence.

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