- Title: Hong Kong police warns maximum penalty for arson is life imprisonment
- Date: 2nd September 2019
- Summary: HONG KONG, CHINA (SEPTEMBER 2, 2019) (REUTERS) POLICE OFFICERS ARRIVING AT THE START OF NEWS CONFERENCE VARIOUS OF MEDIA AND PHOTOGRAPHERS ATTENDING NEWS CONFERENCE (SOUNDBITE) (English) ASSISTANT COMMISSIONER OF HONG KONG POLICE FORCE, MAK CHIN-HO, SAYING: "Day and night, rioters vandalised around one third of all MTR stations in Hong Kong. They smashed CCTVs, ticket machines, turnstiles, and shattered glass planes of customer service centres. Some even took justice in their own hands, and assault innocent passengers." PHOTOGRAPHERS AND CAMERA CREW FILMING NEWS CONFERENCE IN PROGRESS CAMERAMAN OPERATOR FILMING (SOUNDBITE) (English) ASSISTANT COMMISSIONER OF HONG KONG POLICE FORCE, MAK CHIN-HO, SAYING: "I must emphasise, the offence of arson is a serious offence. The maximum penalty is life imprisonment. We appeal to all members of the public to make a clean break with such violent and criminal elements." PHOTOGRAPHER TAKING PICTURES NEWS CONFERENCE IN PROGRESS (SOUNDBITE) (English) ASSISTANT COMMISSIONER OF HONG KONG POLICE FORCE, MAK CHIN-HO, SAYING: "In total, these radical protesters have thrown as many as one hundred petrol bombs randomly across the city. They have thrown petrol bombs onto the streets, endangering civilians, and damaging shops in the vicinity. Various government buildings, like (the) LegCo building, Central Government Complex, and the Police Headquarters, also came under the attack of petrol bombs. Some even threw petrol bombs from a footbridge on to the police officers underneath. Compared with previous weeks, the composition of petrol bombs is found to be more destructive and dangerous. What's worse, some radical protesters set fire to barricades and add fuel to it, by throwing various objects into the flame." NEWS CONFERENCE IN PROGRESS
- Embargoed: 16th September 2019 11:31
- Keywords: Hong Kong police news conference violence MTR airport
- Location: HONG KONG, CHINA
- City: HONG KONG, CHINA
- Country: Hong Kong
- Topics: Conflicts/War/Peace
- Reuters ID: LVA001AUYRGW7
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Hong Kong police warned on Monday (September 2) that setting fire to structures can carry a maximum sentence of life imprisonment.
The warning came after protesters threw petrol bombs and set fire to barriers during the growing violent protests in recent weeks that has plunged the Chinese-ruled city in its biggest political crisis in decades.
"We appeal to all members of the public to make a clean break with such violent and criminal elements," said Assistant Commissioner of Hong Kong Police Force Mak Chin-Ho.
The violent demonstrations, which originally started as a call against a proposed extradition bill with China three months ago, has evolved into a widespread demand for greater democracy.
(Production: Aleksander Solum, Peter Blaza) - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
- Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2019. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
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