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Federation of Trades Unions, but it seems that the rank
and file of these Unions continued in ignorance of the
true position. A large crowd assembled at Kowloon railway
station to greet the 3 p.m. train on which they had been led
to expect that the Mission would arrive.
In the meantime, a welcome party had set out for
the border but as they did not possess passes for the
frontier zone they were held on its perimeter and one of
the party went on to the border to meet the Mission,
which had spent the night at Shum Chun, just across the
-
frontier. Later he returned with his party to Kowloon
and announced to those assembled that the Mission had
boen postponed. The crowds proceeded to disperse.
However, a false rumour started that the Mission had
actually arrived and was being detained in the border
area and a group or groups in the crowd who had come
prepared to cause trouble thereupon proceeded to do so.
A police vehicle and two private cars were overturned
and a police station was stoned. The police used tear
gas and a Chinese police lance corporal, finding himself
about to be overrun by the mob, fired one round from a
shotgun, slightly wounding three Chinese males, who
were detained in hospital overnight. No lives have been
lost and about twelve persons have been treated for minor
injuries. A number of arrests were made. Normal
conditions were restored by about 5.45 p.m. on Saturday,
but a Government spokesman advised people, in their own
interests, to stay at home as far as possible on
Saturday night. The situation is quiet.
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