'Occupy Central' plan draws warnings
Police chief advises against unlawful acts but ex-adviser says the city is ready for democracy
Any attempt to block major thoroughfares in Central will lead to serious consequences and will not be tolerated, Commissioner of Police Andy Tsang Wai-hung has said in response to a planned civil-disobedience movement.
Tsang warned people to think twice about joining the "Occupy Central" protest next year, which organisers said would be the last resort to force Beijing to grant the city full democracy.
Separately, Beijing loyalists also spoke up against the Occupy Central movement, while a former top adviser to the colonial government who believed Hong Kong was ready for universal suffrage expressed support for the city's democracy demands.
At the centre of the debate is a plan mooted by University of Hong Kong law professor Benny Tai Yiu-ting on March 8 to up the ante in the call for democracy that will include a massive protest to block roads in the business district. Tai is expected to announce the details next week.
Yesterday, Tsang reminded people who were mulling "any collective act to hold up traffic unlawfully" of "the legal liability that may arise". Such acts would not be tolerated, he said.
"For those who are still thinking of taking part in such unlawful activities, I would urge them to think carefully about the effect that such a blockade or chaos might have on other members of the public," he said.
The police chief issued his warning on the same day that Ng Hon-mun, former National People's Congress deputy, described Occupy Central as no more than "a juicy slogan" of the moment.