101. Mrs. Jegerasked the Secretary of State for the Colonies if he will make a statement on the disturbances in Cyprus last weekend; and whether he will give an assurance that there was no provocation of demonstrators by auxiliary police and that no unnecessary violence was used.
§ Mr. ProfumoOutbreaks and demonstrations, clearly planned by Eoka to coincide with the United Nations debate on Cyprus and to provoke the Security Forces started last Saturday in Nicosia. There have since been disturbances in different parts of the island. I have no doubt that these outbreaks were deliberate and organised. Demonstrators were armed with petrol bombs, pick helves and sections of piping and in at least one instance stocks of these weapons had been collected in a school beforehand. On162W Tuesday the disturbances threatened to develop into serious communal disorders.
Under great provocation, the Security Forces have exercised remarkable forbearance in dealing with demonstrators. In disturbances in Nicosia on the 7th, a force of six regular police and six military police faced 1,500 rioters and were later reinforced by 27 regular police of the mobile reserve and eight soldiers. In the face of severe stoning and some casualties they tried to disperse the rioters by peaceful means. Force was used only as a last resort to restore law and order. The rioters were dispersed and order restored in 15 minutes. Similar action was taken on the 10th. The Governor assures me that there was no provocation of the demonstrators by any of the Security Forces. There have been no fatal casualties.