Planned protest outside teacher Alpais Lam’s school gets flak
Pro-Beijing group distances itself from those organising rally outside teacher Alpais Lam's school on first day of the new academic year
A plan by police supporters to play a video of teacher Alpais Lam Wai-sze swearing at a policeman outside her school on the first day after the holidays has been met with criticism, even from an ally.
Pro-Beijing Parents' Association leader Leticia Lee See-yin said yesterday she would not attend or encourage any protest outside Pui Ling School of the Precious Blood, the Fanling school where Lam teaches.
Lee's statement came despite her having organised a rally in Mong Kok earlier this month to condemn the teacher who was caught on film verbally abusing police officers last month.
The rally saw 3,000 of Lam's supporters and critics jam Sai Yeung Choi Street, where the two sides clashed.
The teacher later apologised for her deed, saying she had been upset by the way the officers had been handling a dispute in which an anti-Falun Gong group obstructed the Falun Gong's activities. Falun Gong is banned on the mainland.
Lee said yesterday that while she disapproved of Lam, she objected to targeting pupils to get her group's message across. "We oppose any form of disturbance at the school, be it violent or non-violent," she said.
Police confirmed yesterday that approval was given to two groups to protest outside the school on Monday but it had cancelled the permit of one group which told officials it had changed its plans and would not be holding the rally.
Voice of Loving Hong Kong convenor Ko Tat-pun had earlier said the group might play the video outside the school.
The spokeswoman of another group, Caring Hong Kong Power, said that while its core members were not involved, she did not know if any of its followers planned their own action.
Lee said she was "not familiar" with either of the groups, but supported Caring Hong Kong Power's belief that teachers should declare their political stance to schools.
Referring to Lam's Facebook post complaining about being under great pressure over the issue and that her husband had temporarily left her, Lee said: "I'm frustrated too, but I never say it out loud … Whether a daily update on Facebook about feeling frustrated is necessary is one's own choice."
Lee barred journalists from attending her press conference yesterday because she said they would not report accurately on the matter. The Chinese daily's journalists had to wait outside to speak to her.
