- Title: Hundreds arrested in Hong Kong New Year's Day protests
- Date: 2nd January 2020
- Summary: HONG KONG, CHINA (JANUARY 2, 2020) (REUTERS) POLICE OFFICIALS TAKING THEIR SEATS AT NEWS CONFERENCE JOURNALIST SEATED AT NEWS CONFERENCE NEWS CONFERENCE IN PROGRESS (SOUNDBITE) (English) SENIOR SUPERINTENDENT (OPERATIONS) OF HONG KONG ISLAND, NG LOK-CHUN, SAYING: "We actually stopped 464 (people) around Causeway Bay area and then after the initial inquiry, we released 177. So, at the very end of the day, we arrested 287 for unlawful assembly. So, asked whether we changed the strategy, I think police will actually assess the situation because the situation is always very fluid. So, depending on what's happening out there, we will have different tactics or different strategy to deal with that situation. That's all I can tell you." NEWS CONFERENCE IN PROGRESS (SOUNDBITE) (English) SENIOR SUPERINTENDENT (OPERATIONS) OF HONG KONG ISLAND, NG LOK-CHUN, SAYING: "So actually, we came into an agreement with the organiser that after seven, after 5:30 (PM) (0930 GMT) yesterday, after they announced that the possession has ended or needs to be stopped, we will not take any police actions until after 6:15 (PM) (1015 GMT) yesterday." VARIOUS OF NEWS CONFERENCE IN PROGRESS HONG KONG POLICE EMBLEM CIVIL HUMAN RIGHTS FRONT (CHRF) ACTIVIST GROUP SITTING AT NEWS CONFERENCE MEDIA LISTENING (SOUNDBITE) (English) VICE CONVENER OF CIVIL HUMAN RIGHTS FRONT, ERIC LAI, SAYING: "We see the police were unreasonable to fire teargas during the rally in Wan Chai and it's unacceptable of the mass arrest of more than 400 citizens after the protest. And, we see they didn't give any proper reason for the arrests. But what we have seen from all the cameras from our journalist friends was that they attacked lawmaker, they ordered journalists to stand aside and to check their identification and they even arrest human rights observers, which is unacceptable and which goes beyond the international standard to protect human rights observers." REPRESENTATIVES OF CHRF LEAVING NEWS CONFERENCE HANDS HOLDING POSTER READING (Chinese) "HOLD UP OUR STANDS, INVESTIGATE POLICE BRUTALITY" PROTESTERS HOLDING SIGNS, RAISING FIVE FINGERS AND CHANTING (Cantonese): "FIVE DEMANDS, NOT ONE LESS" VARIOUS PROTESTERS SINGING "GLORY TO HONG KONG" ANTHEM (SOUNDBITE)(English) HONG KONG PROTESTER, SIMON HO, SAYING: "Actually I am very angry for yesterday's rally. The police suddenly stopped it because I just walked out from the Victoria Park, maybe just 30 minutes, they all stopped it. I cannot go from Causeway Bay to Wan Chai already. I came out with my two kids also. So I am really very angry. We didn't do anything. We just keep on shouting and just peacefully walk. So, I am just very angry about that." VARIOUS PROTESTERS STANDING AND CHANTING (English) "FIVE DEMANDS, NOT ONE LESS" SIGN READING (English and Chinese) "STOP POLICE SHOOTING IN EXECUTION-STYLE" VARIOUS PROTESTERS MARCHING AND CHANTING POLICE STANDING AND WATCHING SCENE PROTESTERS MARCHING RIOT POLICE STANDING AND WATCHING
- Embargoed: 16th January 2020 11:37
- Keywords: Hong Kong china lunch protest police news conference protests
- Location: HONG KONG, CHINA
- City: HONG KONG, CHINA
- Country: China
- Topics: Conflicts/War/Peace,Civil Unrest
- Reuters ID: LVA001BUHATDZ
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Hong Kong police announced on Thursday (January 2) that they conducted more than 280 arrests in New Year's Day protests after what started as a peaceful pro-democracy march of tens of thousands spiralled into chaotic scenes with police firing tear gas to disperse the crowds.
Police told media on Thursday they had arrested 420 people over the New Year holiday, most on New Year's Day, with 287 of them in one sweep for illegal assembly, including a 12-year-old.
The tension on Wednesday (January 1) rose after some arrests were made in the Wan Chai bar district near a branch of global banking group HSBC, which has been the target of protester anger in recent weeks. When scuffles broke out, large numbers of protesters rushed to the scene while other protesters formed human chains to pass them various supplies, forcing police to bring in their own reinforcements.
Eric Lai, one of the leaders of the Civil Human Rights Front that organised the march, criticised the police dispersing the crowd at such short notice and said they had arrested protesters unreasonably.
The arrests take the total to about 7,000 since protests in the city escalated in June over a now-withdrawn bill that would have allowed extradition to mainland China.
(Production: Xihao Jiang, Ebrahim Harris, Joyce Zhou) - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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