1950s (1954--1955)

1954: The condition of self-governance was debated strongly since the petition in 1953, cumulating into a series of requirements set out by the governor in consultation with the Crown's representative, among which was the military independence of the City. The debate over military independence started quiet, but was increasingly condemned by the student union leaders since much of the military independence was contingent on enacting a conscript army based on the the youth corp of society. Student union leaders saw it as yet another means of encouraging oppression, this time referring to the capitalist mentalities of the merchants who were more than willing to get better trading outcomes while ``sacrificing'' the young to do the ``dirty work'' of soldiering. The displeasure reached a flash point in the middle of 1954 when the preliminary Citizen Soldiering Ordinance was passed by the legislative council which mandated the need for Citizen Soldiering, the national conscript programme. Student union leaders led riots through the streets, terrorising the merchants that they saw as trying to usurp power, and demonising the British subjects for even broaching the idea to the legislative council.

The riots lasted for a day before the police and military police stepped in and broke up the rioters, arresting many of the student union leaders. Many of the students who participated in the riots were hurt while the arrest of the student union leaders took out much of the bite from the student unions.

1955: Elections for all positions in the legislative council were held without any reserved places. Unfortunately, most of the seats were taken by mechants and lawyers from both the local citizenry and the existent British subjects who identified more with the City than with Britain. This proved to be a sore point among the union leaders who had been providing massive support for self-governance for a long time, seeing it as a part of their role as the organisers of the workers. The seeming betrayal started with a strike of many unionists in the many sectors vital to the survival of the City, particularly the transport and manufacturing sectors. The strikes were further joined by members of the student unions who wanted blood from their perception of betrayal from the previous year. The strikes lasted for a week, and were exacerbated when the police and military police tried to step in to break up the strike.

The resulting clash caused a massive City-wide riot that lasted for four days, in which police and military police forces worked in vain to contain. Curfews were instituted, and many arrests of the union leaders were made. Despite all efforts, the injury toll was high on both sides of the conflict, and there were several deaths from the physical altercations that they got involved with.

The new limited government had just had its first taste of teething issues.