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Ken Tsang appeared to have sustained severe bruising following an alleged beating caught on camera and aired on television. Photos: Civic Party

Protests reignited by shocking images appearing to show unarmed man being beaten by officers

Protests reignite amid calls for calm as shocking images show unarmed Civic Party member being punched and kicked by plain-clothes officers

STAFF

Democracy protests that have rocked Hong Kong for almost three weeks and that appeared to be dwindling have been reignited by television footage which appears to show a group of plain-clothes police officers carrying out a violent and sustained attack on an unarmed and restrained protester as he lies on the ground.

The footage - captured by a TVB film crew during the overnight police operation to clear a road near government headquarters - appears to show seven officers taking turns to kick and punch Civic Party member Ken Tsang Kin-chiu as he lies on the ground in a darkened recess.

The video, which is several minutes long, has sparked a storm of controversy with hundreds gathering outside government and police headquarters last night in protest.

Traffic on Lung Wo Road, the thoroughfare just outside the Chief Executive's Office, was blocked for several minutes around midnight before police drove the protesters away.

Watch: TVB's broadcast of police allegedly beating Civic Party member Ken Tsang

The video prompted the police complaints division to set up a special taskforce and sparked an outpouring of calls for calm and restraint from the city's richest tycoon, Li Ka-shing, senior politicians and religious groups.

It also forced Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying to cancel his first question and answer session of the new legislative term that was due to take place today amid concerns the event could attract fresh protests and violence.

Tsang, 39, said he would take legal action, describing the attack as "brutal".

Seven police officers - including a chief inspector from the specialist Organised Crime and Triad Bureau - have been transferred from Occupy duties in the wake of the video, which has made international headlines and sparked diplomatic fallout from Beijing to London.

Ken Tsang is led away by police before the alleged beating. Photo: Nora Tam

The apparently damning video has plunged the police force into new turmoil. It comes ahead of a crunch meeting today between representatives of all four police staff associations and the secretary for the civil service, Paul Tang Kwok-wai.

China's foreign ministry spokesman Hong Lei said: "No country or individual has a right to interfere in China's internal affairs." He urged British officials in particular to speak and act cautiously.

Hong's remarks were in response to a statement by British minister of state for the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, Hugo Swire, on the Occupy Central protests and the city's electoral reform. They also followed comments by Prime Minister David Cameron that Britain should stand up for the rights of people in Hong Kong.

Cheung Kong (Holdings) chairman Li Ka-shing urged protesters to retreat from protest sites, saying their message had been heard.

"We can understand the students' passion but their pursuit [of ideals] needs to be guided by wisdom," he said. "My young friends: your parents, family members, all Hong Kong people and the central government are concerned about your well-being.

"You have successfully conveyed your messages. I urge all of you not to let today's fervour turn into tomorrow's regret. I sincerely call on you to return to the side of your families."

Harry's View
This article appeared in the South China Morning Post print edition as: Outrage at video of police ‘beating’
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