25. In order to give the Police a better chance of containing and suppressing the rioting, a curfew was imposed at 6 p.m. but it had little immediate effect. Crowds, numbering many hundreds, continued to roam the streets and sporadic attacks were made on Police parties enforcing the curfew. Fires were started and minor incidents occurred throughout the night.
26. By 11 a.m. on the next morning, 13th May, crowds had again begun to gather in San Po Kong and posters appeared condemning the Government for injuring innocent people. By cordoning off the affected areas and carrying out 'sweeps', the Police dispersed the crowds and kept them off the streets. But they collected in the resettlement estates, where they could not easily be controlled, and rioting and violence continued. At Tung Tau, a mob broke into the estate office and a school; they ran- sacked the resettlement staff quarters and they overturned cars. At Wong Tai Sin the staff quarters were again attacked and were set on fire. At Lo Fu Ngam, fires were started, the Civil Aid Services office was broken into and furniture was dragged out and set on fire. At one estate, Tsz Wan Shan, the situation remained calm; a delegation from the estate Kai Fong or neighbourhood association had visited the Police and had under- taken to maintain law and order themselves. They were as good as their word and throughout the disturbances the estate remained quiet.
27. A curfew was again imposed, to start from 7 p.m. On this night it was effective. There were no further incidents during the night and it appeared that the violence had run its course. The following day, which was Sunday 14th May, there was some stone-throwing but no major in- cident developed and no curfew was imposed.
28. There is little doubt that the riots were inspired and exploited by the communists, both by their own ringleaders who were seen urging the mobs on to further violence, and by the hooligans that they had employed. The majority of those who took part were normally law- abiding people and it is difficult to believe that they were consciously supporting dissident workers in an industrial dispute, or that they were moved by communist ideology or by any discernible cause other than a senseless urge to destruction. The main attacks were against the Police and against Government property which, as the symbols of authority, were natural targets. But there is no reason to suppose that this reflected general discontent or indeed anything more than the excitement of the moment and the effectiveness of the communist agitators. It is signifi- cant that, as the communist aims became clearer, they did not again
9
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.