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Are police equipped for another riot? Mong Kok shows gaps in their arsenal, says lawmaker. Photo: AP

Mong Kok riot: 38 charged and to appear in court as Hong Kong asks how New Year’s night turned to violence

Three more held in connection with Monday night’s unrest in Mong Kok as questions raised on police response and HK ponders ‘deep-rooted’ problems

Thirty-eight people in connection with Monday night’s Mong Kok mob have been charged for participating in the riot and will appear in court today.

Among the 64 arrests made so far, the police charged 35 men and 3 women aged 15 to 70 with one count of riot each yesterday.

Meanwhile, 16 people between the ages of 14 to 33 were released on bail pending further investigation, while another 10 were still detained for further enquiries.

According to the police, rioting is a serious offence that carries a maximum sentence of 10 years’ imprisonment.

Three more people were arrested on Wednesday in connection with the Mong Kok riot – among them a theology student who is due to stand trial next week for an alleged assault during the 2014 Occupy Central protests.

Totalling 64 arrests in the wake of clashes between protesters and police on Monday night, the city began to ask how a protest defending street hawkers escalated to some of the worst street violence Hong Kong had ever seen.

Security minister-turned-politician Regina Ip Lau Suk-yee urged the government to tackle the “deep-rooted” problems facing the city.

A prominent political party leader called for the introduction of water cannon as a crowd dispersal tool, and more questions surfaced about how the police reacted to the situation and why they didn’t see it coming.

READ MORE: On the scene at Mong Kok madness – South China Morning Post reporter’s first-hand account

The highest profile and most controversial arrest was that of Derek Lam Shun-hin, who was in Mong Kok when a crackdown on illegal hawkers by hygiene officials was said to have triggered violence.

Scholarism claimed Lam could be charged with “taking part in a riot”, which was reportedly used last time against rioting drug addiction centre inmates in 2000.

By late yesterday afternoon, a total of 64 people had been arrested in connection with the Monday riot. They included 55 men and nine women, aged from 14 to 70.

It was understood that 15 students were arrested, three of whom were from the University of Hong Kong. Meanwhile, 14 of those arrested were affiliated with eight different political groups, with Hong Kong Indigenous leading the pack at five members arrested.

The localist group, Hong Kong Indigenous, whose members were in Mong Kok to “protect” unlicensed hawkers, claimed that about 20 of its members had been arrested, including a Legislative Council by-election candidate.

According to a legal source in contact with 30 arrestees, most of them were below 30 years old. Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying has vowed to track down the perpetrators of the riot and bring them to justice.

What it was all about? A street hawker sells ‘stinky tofu’ in Portland Street. Hong Kong authorities’ attempts to enforce the law on hawkers selling illegal street food ended in a 10-hour riot. Photo: EPA

After Lam’s arrest, the police arrested another man, 54, in Sham Shui Po in connection with the riot, and seized from his home, among other things, about five portable two-way radios.

A third man, 21, was also arrested in Sheung Shui for alleged involvement with the riot.

Violence erupted overnight as a group of activists from Hong Kong Indigenous confronted police and hygiene officers to “protect” illegal street hawkers in Mong Kok.

READ MORE: Mong Kok riot – How Hong Kong’s first night in the Year of the Monkey descended into mayhem

At one point, masked activists threw bricks and bottles at police, while police used batons and pepper spray and fired two warning shots into the air.

Television news footage also showed rioters setting fire to litter bins and throwing bottles and rubbish at police.

It was the worst unrest in Hong Kong since the Occupy Central protests of 2014.

[Genuine] localists would not do anything that would harm the city
Financial Secretary John Tsang

Activists claimed they went to support the street hawkers to defend what they believe is an integral part of Hong Kong culture.

The last time riot charges were brought was after a riot at the Hei Ling Chau drug treatment centre in 2000. Disputes between Vietnamese and local inmates degenerated into violence on the night of June 4.

Meanwhile, Financial Secretary John Tsang Chun-wah yesterday condemned the rioters and said: “We should all stand up and tell them we do not accept what they have done.”

“[Genuine] localists won’t do such things. [Genuine] localists would love Hong Kong and treasure the core values of Hong Kong. They would not do anything that would harm the city,” Tsang said.

A rioter holds a sign post as a fire burns in the Mong Kok area of Hong Kong. Photo: Bloomberg

But Democratic Party lawmaker James To Kun-sun said going around arresting people would not solve anything.

Former security minister Ip, now a legislator for the New People’s Party and an Executive Council member, echoed To’s views but added: “Some of them do not see a way out with their employment, housing and education issues. It is easy for them to go astray and resort to violence … We need to think of ways to address these deep-rooted problems in our society.”

Meanwhile, various groups turned up at police stations across the city yesterday to show their support for the police officers injured in the rioting.

Reporting by Tony Cheung, Ernest Kao, Joyce Ng, Christy Leung and Ng Kang-chung

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