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Both the organisers and the Police were determined that the rally should pass off peacefully. With this in mind, the organisers mobilised and briefed a large number of marshals before the meeting. It was agreed that uniformed Police would cordon the area, and that the marshals would maintain order within the rally, unless the organisers requested assistance by means of a pre-arranged signal. A total of 182 officers was deployed in and around the park, with a further 75 standing by in reserve. Other officers were deployed to protest various Japanese enterprises in the area, including MTR contractors' sites. Observation posts were established and CID officers mixed with the crowds. Police orders emphasised that the textbooks issue was an emotive issue and that maximum restraint should be exercised. Uniformed officers were instructed not to arrest miscreants save in exceptional circumstances, but to keep them under surveillance for later arrest. The main priority was the orderly dispersal of crowds attending the rally.
The meeting.
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A crowd estimated at between 11,000 and 13,000 strong attended the meeting. Marshals succeeded in seating most of these according to a pre-arranged plan; others spilled out into adjacent playing fields and roads. The rally began at about 3.45 p.m. and followed a programme including patriotic (but non-political) songs and speeches by leading organisers. The crowd joined in singing the songs, as well as observing a one minute silence and rising in unison when requested to do so as a gesture of solidarity. The result was an impressive demonstration of organised, but restrained, strength. A more detailed synopsis of the events is at Annex. The rally ended at about 6 p.m. and participants dispersed peacefully under the direction of the Police and the marshals.
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As the crowd left the park, there was gradual congestion in the Paterson Street area and a few people began placing red stickers on the Matsuzakaya Department Store. This attracted numerous press photographers and reporters and a large crowd of onlookers assembled, obliging the Police to close roads to traffic. The crowds were not dispersed until 8.30 p.m. The incident demonstrated the problems of control that can arise in connection with an otherwise well organised and restrained gathering.
Significance
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The protest was more about Japanese lack of repentance for the invasion of China and subsequent atrocities. than an academic debate about the description of these events in history textbooks. The theme of the protest was endorsed
CONFIDENTIAL #2
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