HSBC moves court to occupy lost ground below its feet
As foretold in yesterday's Lai See, HSBC went to court yesterday and took out a summons for possession of the area under the bank, and named 'the occupiers of the ground floor of 1 Queens Road Central' and three defendants. The matter will be heard before Master K Lo on July 16 at the High Court.
In an affidavit in support of the summons, HSBC's chief operating officer Mark Boyne said the defendants 'remain decentralised, leaderless and unco-ordinated', were generally unwilling to vacate the property, and did not accept that the space was the bank's private property. The affidavit noted the movement had posted a declaration on its website saying it would not vacate the property voluntarily and called for wider public participation, and that the defendants would try to resume occupying the area even if they were removed.
The bank also noted that it had 'concerns about the potential disruption and risk (if there were to be violent reaction by any defendant(s) to the public and negative publicity resulting from the process of removal)'.
In addition, the bank provided a large number of documents and photographs in which it detailed the movement's activities since starting the occupation on October 15. HSBC noted that the encampment was attracting homeless and otherwise vulnerable people. On one occasion, the bank's security guards arrested a man wanted by the Commercial Crime Bureau in connection with an investigation. HSBC said it was concerned that the encampment was attracting people unconnected with the original intention of the movement, and the possible commission of illegal acts.
You can come back, Henry
Chief executive-elect Leung Chun-ying caused something of a stir when he turned up in the members' bar of the Hong Kong Club on Thursday evening. The problem was that he brought his bodyguard in with him. The club rules do not allow bringing bodyguards into the premises and most certainly not into the members' bar. Most are left hanging around outside the club.