This is an artist’s impression of the Chinese Middle School students’ protest on 13 May 1954 against the military conscription of all males between the ages of 18 to 20 years, as required by the National Service Ordinance passed in December 1953. The students felt this was unfair as it required them to defend the British colonial government, which had not provided for the advancement of Chinese education and was perceived to prefer the English-educated for employment and other economic opportunities. Hundreds of students turned up to support a petition to be presented to the governor. When violence erupted, 26 persons were injured and 45 students were arrested.
