Protesters camped outside Hong Kong’s Legislative Council removed as pan-democrats fight against rule changes

Metal barricades last seen during Occupy movement in 2014 rolled out, with about a dozen legislators and activists setting up tents

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Legislative Council security staff and Hong Kong police began removing protesters from the demonstration zone late Monday evening. Photo: Felix Wong

Published: 10:01pm, 11 Dec 2017Updated: 12:19pm, 12 Dec 2017

Metal barricades and metre-high fences last used to restrain protesters during the Occupy movement in 2014 reappeared on Monday around Hong Kong’s legislature, as pan-democratic lawmakers vowed to hold overnight vigils against rules to curb filibustering.

By evening, they had set up several tents, as tensions grew between them and the pro-establishment camp. In a scene reminiscent of the 79-day civil disobedience campaign, some 100 protesters inside the Legislative Council demonstration zone were removed by security staff and police officers when they refused to leave.

Pan-democratic lawmakers camping outside Legco in protest on Monday. Photo: Felix Wong

“Camping carries a symbolic meaning that we are determined to stay and fight,” lawmaker Eddie Chu Hoi-dick said earlier Monday evening. “We will stay until victory.”

Chu was referring to pro-democracy lawmakers’ attempts to block the pro-establishment group’s bid to amend meeting rules, fuelling weeks of antagonism.

Security barriers erected outside the Legislative Council building in Tamar on Monday. Photo: Sam Tsang

Pro-democracy lawmakers said they feared the rule book changes would pave the way for the government to “bulldoze through draconian legislation” such as the controversial national security law. But pro-establishment lawmakers want to tighten rules to nip filibustering, a favoured tactic of pro-democracy lawmakers to block bills or motions they disagree with.

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