Police ban major anti-government protest for weekend, citing risk of escalating violence
Record ID:
1437389
Police ban major anti-government protest for weekend, citing risk of escalating violence
- Title: Police ban major anti-government protest for weekend, citing risk of escalating violence
- Date: 18th October 2019
- Summary: HONG KONG, CHINA (OCTOBER 18, 2019) (REUTERS) HONG KONG POLICE OFFICIALS SITTING AT NEWS CONFERENCE JOURNALISTS SITTING INSIDE ROOM (SOUNDBITE) (English) ACTING CHIEF SUPERINTENDENT OF POLICE PUBLIC RELATIONS BRANCH, WING-CHEUNG KONG, SAYING: "Past experience showed that recent public order events are often hi-jacked a group of radical protesters to commit violent acts like, setting buildings on fire, hurling petrol bombs at police officers and into crowds, wrecking public properties and launching brutal attacks on police officers and innocent citizens." JOURNALIST ASKING QUESTION (SOUNDBITE) (English) ACTING CHIEF SUPERINTENDENT OF POLICE PUBLIC RELATIONS BRANCH, WING-CHEUNG KONG, SAYING: "What is more alarming is that some rioters use homemade bombs in the recent protest. In another case, our officer was stabbed in the neck by a rioter, showing a clear intention to take his life. Therefore, we object to this application for holding a public procession mainly based on concerns about public safety, public order and protection of rights and freedom of others. NEWS CONFERENCE ONGOING JOURNALIST SITTING (SOUNDBITE) (Cantonese) SENIOR SUPERINTENDENT OF ORGANIZED CRIME AND TRIAD BUREAU, KWAI-WAH LI, SAYING: "As for the transfer of evidence mentioned by the Taiwan authorities, what I can tell you is that Hong Kong is a place of common law, and the requirements for the transfer of evidence beyond the borders are quite high. We have done everything we can do at this stage." NEW CONFERENCE IN PROGRESS
- Embargoed: 1st November 2019 10:36
- Keywords: Hong Kong China police protest demonstration democracy news conference
- Location: HONG KONG, CHINA
- City: HONG KONG, CHINA
- Country: Hong Kong
- Topics: Government/Politics
- Reuters ID: LVA001B1MGOXZ
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Hong Kong police announced on Friday (October 18) that they would ban public gathering for 'safety' reasons, ahead of the 19th weekend of demonstrations.
Hong Kong is preparing for a weekend of demonstrations, including a human chain at major subway lines on Friday and a democracy march on Sunday (October 20), the latest moves in more than four months of anti-government protests.
Police on Friday rejected a permit request for the march, meaning it will be an illegal rally.
Thousands of people have defied police in the past and staged mass rallies, often peaceful in the start but descending into violence at night.
It has been two weeks since Carrie Lam, leader of the Chinese-ruled city, invoked colonial-era emergency laws banning face masks, hoping to quell protests. Instead, the city has been shaken by some of the most intense unrest to date.
Hong Kong has been battered by four months of protests, driven by concerns Beijing is eroding freedoms granted when Britain handed the city back to China in 1997.
(Production: Joyce Zhou, Juarawee Kittisilpa) - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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