SCMP 20 APRIL 1972.
m
Police sinash
anti-British
student move
By Tommy Lewis, William Lam and K. C. Tsang.
Police last night smashed an organised student underground movement which was planning a special “anti-British” drive aimed at disrupting the big Queen's Birthday celebration parade.
Eight young men and three girls were early today being ques- tioned in Kowloon City Police Station.
Within three hours, members of a number of student bodies made plans for a massive
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protest over the arrests. They denounced the police action as "a violation of the freedom of speech." Some even threatened "miliant action if the matter was not settled."
Taking part in the protest will be members from the Hongkong Chinese University Students' Union, Hongkong University Students' Union, the Federation of Hongkong Students, the '70s Biweekly and the Students Weekly.
A press conference is also to be held at the New Asia College this morning.
At 2 am today, police were still looking for other members of the student group.
Detectives were also examining a number of anti British, anti Hongkong.. anti monarchy posters which the underground group planned to plaster throughout the Colony starting from midnight tonight.
The posters read: "Down with colonialism,” “Down with the Colomal Government," “Long X the Queen and Throw British and Foreigners out of Hongkong."
These are the same as the Tsimshatsui posters torn down by police on Monday.
Detectives with a search warrant raided a flat in Tin Kwong Road, Kowloon City, at 8.40 pm last night.
A reliable source said the 11 were all busy preparing the next edition of the radical newsp, per "Students' Weekly.”
The newspaper contamed articles and drawings.
One reliable police source said the raids followed the discovery in Tsimshatsui on Monday of anti British posters.
Other sources said Special Branch detectives led the raid, but an official police spokes man denied this.
He said Special Branch anti spy hunters were not involved and that detectives from CID Kowloon City Police Station carried out the raid
Many of those arrested in the Kowloon City raid were senior members of the Action Committeg Co Protect Tiaoyutai, a group which has heen involved in several illegal demonstrations over the fate of the controversial island group. including a meeting in Victoria Park last year which erupted into a violent riot.
Some of them were also active members of the radical 70's Boweekly newspaper. which has over the past two years regularly clashed with the authorities.
Meanwhile, student leaders issued a statement denn nautimat an explanation from na Branch.
"We strongly protest against the raid on the legal Students Weekly. This is a violation of speech and individual liberty," a student spokesman said.
He added that the Police should immediately release the arrested people, of which four of them are members of the editorial board of the '70 Biweekly.
One of the editors of the '70 Biweekly, Mi Ng Chung yi, said; "We will take all necessary action mcluding militant action which We consider to be appropriate to settle the matter."
The occupations of the 11 arrested are, two teachers, it clerk, a factory worker. Chinese Universory student. two editors of the Seventies Biweekly and a Stallnrember, two staflmembers of a student
Xmarazine and a film supervisor,
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