Additional information about the riot.

Account of the riot from eye-witness:

12 year old student Han Tan Juan (adapted from "Singapore:A biography"):

The workers participating in the strikes assembled at the gate of the Hock Lee Bus Company.The police wanted them to disperse but they refused. The police then started using high-powered water cannons on the workers.These were very high-pressure water-cannons,strong enough to send pebbles and glass on the ground flying towards the workers. Some of the workers' bodies and faces were cut and bled from the flying stones and glass. Whenever the water cannons lulled, the sympathisers would rush to pick up pebbles and glass from the ground . They weren't trying to attack the police you only have to look at the actions of the people in the photographs and you'll see..... The water-cannons were so powerful that they could blast a person into a drain. The crowd became very angry, and someone shouted in Hokkien 'hood!' which means "fight".

People invovled:

Mr David Marshall(Cheif Minister)

Lim Chin Siong and Fong Swee Suan(both are leaders of SBWU)

Mr Lee Kuan Yew(Legal representative for Lim and Fong)

Students from various Chinese schools

Bus companies island-wide

What happened after the riot?

INJURIES AND VICTIMS OF THIS RIOT:

Two police officers died as a result, including Detective Corporal Yuen Yau Phang, who was burned to death when the car he was in was set alight by rioters, and Teoh Bock Lan Andrew, a Constable with the Volunteer Special Constabulary, who was severely beaten by the mob and succumbed to his injuries in hospital. Gene D. Symonds, an American press correspondent, was similarly beaten up, and died from his head injuries.

In total, two police officers, a student and an American press correspondent, Gene Symonds, died and many more were seriously injured. The student, a 16 year old from Chin Kang School, Chong Lon Chong, died from a gunshot wound to his lung, the bullet fired at random from the police in a radio car when rioters descended on them. He was paraded around the streets by the rioters for two and a half hour, before being taken to the hospital, by the time he reached, he was already dead.

VIOLENCE STOP AND PROBLEM OF THIS RIOT RESOLVED:

The police managed to stop the violence by the next morning. Later, Hock Lee Bus Company and the SBWU signed a ruling issued by the Court of Inquiry. The strikers' jobs and pay were restored and they declared victory for their action. However, because of the unexpected violence, public opinion became more critical towards the rioters. The then Chief Minister of Singapore, David Marshall, took action. He expelled student leaders involved in the rioting and closed down two schools where the most students had been involved.

How and when did the riot started?

On 12 May 1955, large numbers of workers and students congregated in the Alexandra Road area around the bus depot in preparation for an island wide protest the following day, timed to commemorate the anti-National Service clashes of the previous year.

1.45 pm: A Hock Lee bus was attacked by a gang of hooligans and the Commissioner of Police immediately ordered a full stand-by of all police on the island. He rightfully feared that the incident would lead to general rioting.

3 pm: The remaining drivers of the buses were intimidated into stopping the service and large crowds of workers, strikers and students converged in growing numbers in the Hock Lee Bus Company area.

5 pm: From this time onward, Radio Malaya and Redifussion, at the request of the police, interrupted programmes to give frequent warnings to citizens that the area was dangerous and asking motorists and others to avoid entering it.

7 pm: For three hours, there were incidents of stones and bottles being thrown at police on duty in the danger area, and on three occasions hostile mobs of up to 1,000 persons attacking the police were dispersed by tear smoke.Some arrests were made, and as was expected, it was not till dark that the mobs made determined efforts to attack police posts, road blocks, individual policemen and radio patrol cars.Throughout the night up till 3 am on May 13, repeated hit and run attacks were made on police.

Singapore Chinese Middle School Students' Unions Riots - Chapter 5

EXTRA:

What happened during the riot?

Before the riot started, the government asked all parents to persuade their children to return home, but many students refused to leave. This caused the riot to strike at CHS when the deadline approached.

Singapore Chinese Middle School Students' Unions Riots - Chapter 4

What happened after the riot?

The riot lasted for five days. 13 people were killed while more than 100 were injured. 900 people were detained. The British were pleased with Lim Yew Hock's success in suppressing the strikes and riots. Peace was finally present.

Singapore Chinese Middle School Students' Unions Riots - Chapter 3

Why did the riot happen?

The riot happened because Chief Minister Lim Yew Hock announced that the Singapore Chinese Middle School Students' Union would be closed down because of its Communists activities. The riot also happened because the government sent 56 police to arrest 4 students leaders from Chinese High School (CHS) and Chung Cheng High School (CCHS) and the government also expelled 142 students for taking part in Communist activities.

Singapore Chinese Middle School Students' Unions Riots - Chapter 2

How did the riot happen?

The riot happen after Lim Yew Hock replaced David Marshall as Chief Minister of Singapore. After he became the Chief Minister of Singapore, he began to take tough measures to suppress communists activities with the support of the British Governor and Commissioner of Police.
Students gathered and camped at CHS and CCHS for 2 weeks, organising meetings and holding demonstrations.

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