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Joyce Ng

Samuel Chan

Occupy Central leaders and pan-democratic lawmakers were quick to condemn - or at least distance themselves from - the crowd that stormed the Legislative Council building during the early hours of yesterday.
The government and 41 pro-establishment lawmakers also denounced the clashes, with the legislators signing a petition saying the Occupy movement had failed in its promise to keep the protests peaceful.
The chaos in Admiralty came as public opposition to the civil disobedience movement reached nearly 55 per cent this week, compared with support of just 28 per cent, according to a University of Hong Kong poll.
The survey of 513 people also found 82.9 per cent believed the occupation of sites in Admiralty, Mong Kok and Causeway Bay should end.
Watch: Clashes as alleged Hong Kong protesters attempt parliament break-in


 
A group of masked people smashed two glass doors of the Legco building with metal railings and bricks at about 1am yesterday, the 53rd day of the pro-democracy protests.
A few hundred Occupy protesters flocked to the scene in support, prompting police to use pepper spray and charge at them with batons.
By the time police arrived, however, the masked people who initiated the storming of the premises had left, according to witnesses - but not before urging protesters to enter Legco through one of the broken doors.
Later yesterday, student leaders of Occupy expressed reservations about the action, though they refrained from using the word "condemn".
The Federation of Students' deputy secretary general, Lester Shum, said his group was not involved and that some protesters had been "misled".
Watch: Reactions to attack on Legco during Hong Kong's Occupy Central movement


 
The three Occupy Central co-founders and 23 pan-democratic lawmakers said they "strongly condemn" the action.
They also said the masked group had misled the protesters.
The movement noted that some protesters had falsely claimed lawmakers would discuss "Article 23 for the internet", a bill regulating online copyright issues that would have implications for freedom of expression, yesterday. In fact, the bill will be discussed by a Legco committee next month and will not come to a vote until next year.
Occupy added that its legal support team would not provide help to those who instigate violence.
Three radical pan-democratic lawmakers, including "Long Hair" Leung Kwok-hung, also criticised the clash and said its organisers should come forward to explain their motive.
Legislative Council President Jasper Tsang Yok-sing postponed the chamber's weekly meeting from yesterday to this morning.
Tsang said he understood the initiators of the clash "were a different group from Occupy protesters" and urged police to track them down.
Meanwhile, the Mong Kok occupied zone was not expected to be cleared until next Tuesday at the earliest, a police source said.
The High Court had granted injunctions to clear the site, but bailiffs and plaintiffs granted the orders needed time to hire hands to help remove the obstacles, he said. "Those with triad backgrounds and mental illnesses [among Occupy protesters in Mong Kok] are likely to clash with police," the source said.
All sides involved in executing the injunctions must also wait until the court clarifies tomorrow the role police can play.



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Occupy Central

Occupy condemns attack on Legco as pan-democrats claim protesters were 'misled'

One of the glass doors at the Legislative Council complex that was smashed by masked intruders. Photo: Felix Wong

Fernando Cheung attempts to stop protesters from storming Legco in the early hours of Wednesday. Photo: SCMP Pictures

Protesters hurl concrete slabs at the Legco doors. Photo: SCMP Pictures

Photographers assess the damage on Wednesday morning. Photo: Felix Wong

Lawyers post injunction notices at the Mong Kok site occupied by protesters. Photo: Sam Tsang

Harry's view

Rumour of copyright vote may have led to storming of Legislative Council building

A man throws a lump of concrete at a glass panel as protesters sought to get inside the building. Photo: SCMP Pictures

Police use pepper spray against protesters outside the Legislative Council building early yesterday. Photo: SCMP Pictures

Police officers take away a protester after the storming of Legco. Photo: Felix Wong 

Police officers rest after dealing with the protesters at Legco. Photo: Felix Wong 

News

Hong Kong

Storming of Legco building condemned as Occupy leaders say they had nothing to do with it


Occupy Central leaders and pan-democratic lawmakers were quick to condemn - or at least distance themselves from - the crowd that stormed the Legislative Council building during the early hours of yesterday.
