Multiple disturbances broke out on

Christmas Day Christmas is an annual festival commemorating the birth of Jesus Christ, observed primarily on December 25 as a religious and cultural celebration among billions of people around the world. A feast central to the Christian liturgical year, ...

of 1981 and

New Year's Day New Year's Day is a festival observed in most of the world on 1 January, the first day of the year in the modern Gregorian calendar. 1 January is also New Year's Day on the Julian calendar, but this is not the same day as the Gregorian one. Wh ...

of 1982 in Hong Kong. Since the majority of the participants were youths, the riots were also named as the Christmas youth riots of 1981 and New Year youth riots of 1982. The riots had a long-term impact on the government's youth policy.

Events

A riot broke out in the early morning of Christmas Day, 25 December 1981 in

Central Central is an adjective usually referring to being in the center of some place or (mathematical) object. Central may also refer to: Directions and generalised locations * Central Africa, a region in the centre of Africa continent, also known as ...

Hong Kong Hong Kong ( (US) or (UK); , ), officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China ( abbr. Hong Kong SAR or HKSAR), is a city and special administrative region of China on the eastern Pearl River Delt ...

. In a minor road accident, a car driver accidentally hit a pedestrian near the

Mandarin Oriental Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group International Limited (MOHG) is a Hong Kong hotel investment and management group focusing on luxury hotels, resorts, and residences, with a total of 33 properties worldwide, 20 of which are fully or partially ow ...

hotel around 1:30 am, arousing unrest among the youth in the area that eventually evolved into a riot. In the ensuing chaos, 11 were injured and 7 cars were damaged. The

police The police are a constituted body of persons empowered by a state, with the aim to enforce the law, to ensure the safety, health and possessions of citizens, and to prevent crime and civil disorder. Their lawful powers include arrest and t ...

deployed the Police Tactical Unit (PTU) to disperse the crowd. At 5 AM, the riot subsided and 18 were arrested. The same day, the

Government of Hong Kong The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, commonly known as the Hong Kong Government or HKSAR Government, refers to the executive authorities of Hong Kong SAR. It was formed on 1 July 1997 in accordance with the Sino-Br ...

increased the number of policemen patrolling major business areas and kept cars away from the Central District. The day after the incident, Secretary for Home Affairs Denis Bray dismissed characterisations of the event as rioting, calling it "just some disturbances caused by kids who had too much to drink". He said there was no apparent motivation, attributing the disorder to "high spirits with some spirits out of bottles as well". A senior police commander also stated that the events were "definitely not a riot". Another disturbance broke out early New Year's Day of 1982, when crowds of youth began heckling revellers. The police had anticipated trouble, and had deployed hundreds of officers (both uniformed and plainclothes) to disperse the crowds. Nine people were arrested and released on bail.

Aftermath

The

addressed the increasing "problems" with youth, citing disobedience in school and the popularity of

snooker Snooker (pronounced , ) is a cue sports, cue sport played on a Billiard table#Snooker and English billiards tables, rectangular table covered with a green cloth called baize, with six Billiard table#Pockets 2, pockets, one at each corner and o ...

and

arcade game An arcade game or coin-op game is a coin-operated entertainment machine typically installed in public businesses such as restaurants, bars and amusement arcades. Most arcade games are presented as primarily games of skill and include arcade v ...

s among youth. The government channeled additional resources into youth welfare. Two other riots in 1982 and 1984 were ignited by football fans and a tax on taxis.

References

External links

A section about the riot

On the youth problem (Microsoft Word format)
{{in lang, zh

Riots A riot is a form of civil disorder commonly characterized by a group lashing out in a violent public disturbance against authority, property, or people. Riots typically involve destruction of property, public or private. The property targeted ...

British Hong Kong

1981 riots 1981 riots may refer to: * 1981 England riots ** 1981 Brixton riot ** 1981 Chapeltown riots ** 1981 Handsworth riots ** 1981 Moss Side riot ** 1981 Toxteth riots * 1981 Hong Kong riots Multiple disturbances broke out on Christmas Day of 198 ...

Events

Aftermath

See also

References

External links