Scholarism plans escape route for Occupy's weakest members as 100 join ‘relay hunger strike’
Scholarism convenor Joshua Wong Chi-fung said the student group would arrange for school pupils and the edlerly to leave Occupy's main protest site in Admiralty if police started clearing up.
Wong, speaking during a Commercial Radio programme on Monday morning, said that if there were signs that police were using force during a clearance, the group would tell the most vulnerable protesters to leave first to avoid injury.
“If the first wave involves [police] quick reaction teams, there is a need for us to let experienced protesters stand on the front to delay police in order to let those who cannot afford the risk of arrest to leave first,” he said.
Wong said the group had no plans to clash with police, and urged protesters not to throw any objects at officers or attack them. But he suggested protesters bring along home-made shields to protect themselves from batons.
“Protesters understand they would be arrested but that doesn’t mean they are prepared to be beaten,” he said.
Wong and two other students have given up a hunger strike, which started last Monday, to demand dialogue with the government over political reform. The officials ruled out dialogue with Wong, saying talks were possible only within the framework of the Basic Law and Beijing’s guidance on city elections in 2017.