Hong Kong 1956 riots
The Hong Kong 1956 protests were the result of escalating provocations between pro-Nationalist and pro-Communist factions in Hong Kong during Double Ten Day, 10 October 1956.
Most violence took place in the town of Tsuen Wan, five miles from central Kowloon. A mob stormed and ransacked a clinic and welfare centre, killing four people.
The protests spread to other parts of Kowloon including along Nathan Road. By 11 October, some of the mob began targeting foreigners. Protesters in Kowloon turned over a taxi carrying the Swiss Vice Counsul Fritz Ernst and his wife on Nathan Road. The protesters doused the cab in gasoline and lit it on fire resulting in the death of the driver and Mrs. Ernst who succumbed to her injuries two days later.
To quell the protesting, Colonial Secretary Edgeworth B. David ordered extra manpower from the British Forces Hong Kong, including armoured troops of 7th Hussars, to reinforce the Hong Kong Police and disperse the rioters. In total, there were 59 deaths and approximately 500 injuries. Property damage was estimated at US$1,000,000.
