Radical Hong Kong group tied to Legco explosion participated in other local protests this year
Valiant Frontier was involved in an anti-parallel trading demonstration in Yuen Long and an anti-mainlander rally in Mongkok
A radical localist group whose members were among six people arrested over the blast outside the city’s legislature took part in other protests against mainlanders and parallel trading this year.
The pro-Hong Kong independence group had rallied online against the pending copyright bill, which it claimed was a means by the government to abridge Hong Kong’s freedom of speech.
READ MORE: Legco explosion: Six men arrested over rubbish bin blast outside Hong Kong legislature
Its latest message on a Facebook account the group apparently maintained and dated December 8 called for people to surround the Legislative Council building the next day when lawmakers were to discuss the bill.
“Heaven helps those who help themselves,” the group said in the post. “Now the legislators cannot help us. Only we can help ourselves. There is only one thing we can do now [and] that is surround Legco.”
On December 9, two men in surgical masks were seen in CCTV footage igniting objects and hurling them into a rubbish bin in the demonstration zone outside the Legco building at about 8.30pm. One of the objects was an LPG canister of the type used for cooking, which exploded, according to police sources.
READ MORE: Hong Kong copyright bill explained: Why are people so concerned about this?
In June, members of Valiant Frontier took part in a protest against mainlanders in Sai Yeung Choi Street South in Mongkok. A video posted on the group’s Facebook account showed protesters waving the colonial-era Hong Kong flag and shouting slogans like “down with the Communist Party”.
Police had to use pepper-spray when protesters scuffled with members of a pro-mainland group that was also at the scene.
In March, members of Valiant Frontier joined a demonstration against parallel traders in Yuen Long. In that event, demonstrators clashed with shop employees, residents and police officers. The protest resulted in 32 arrests.
