Hong Kong protesters hold singalong in Tsim Sha Tsui as tensions ease with local ethnic minority communities over Kowloon Mosque police spraying
- Event comes as ethnic minority communities regroup and ‘move on’ after ‘accidental’ police spraying of Kowloon Mosque on Sunday
- Mohan Chugani, the former president of the Indian Association of Hong Kong, says he accepted apology from Chief Executive Carrie Lam
Protesters gathered in Tsim Sha Tsui on Wednesday for a singalong in support of local ethnic minority communities, three days after a police water cannon sprayed blue dye on the entrance of nearby Kowloon Mosque.
But on Wednesday night, Chugani told Lam at a cocktail reception held by the Indian Chamber of Commerce that her apology was accepted.
“She asked me to stay cool and not to be so angry. And I told her that her apology was accepted and I am cool,” Chugani said, describing the exchange as courteous.
Fahim Butt, 34, a native of Pakistan who has lived in Hong Kong for 13 years, said he had been praying at the mosque an hour before the water cannon spraying. He said he felt “pain and anger” after seeing blue dye on the mosque’s entrance.
Some Muslims were still privately angry, he said, but most would support the message sent out on Monday from Chief Imam Muhammad Arshad to accept the government’s apology.
“You cannot touch anybody’s religion, especially the places of prayer, [no matter if it is] a temple, mosque or church,” Butt said. “We should follow the chief imam and the Muslim community, but on our own side [privately] we are still angry.”
“Most of our community feels that it’s a mistake,” he said. “We cleaned it up and then we go on with our lives. That’s how it is.”
Hong Kong government formally withdraws ‘dead’ extradition bill
Asad Cheema, 25, works at a mobile phone shop in Chungking Mansions. He is from Pakistan and has lived in Hong Kong for nearly 11 years. He said he was no longer angry after government and police apologies, and he thanked everyone, including protesters, who helped clean up the mosque.
“We want peace,” he said.
Dozens of demonstrators gathered outside Chungking Mansions at 7pm on Wednesday for the singalong to show support for the ethnic minority community and thank them for their support in the anti-government protest movement.
One of the onlookers outside Chungking Mansions was KK Khan, 34, a Muslim who helped distribute bottles of water to protesters on Sunday.
Khan, who owns a mobile phone shop in Chungking Mansions, said most people from the city’s ethnic minority communities were peaceful people who did not want any kind of violence. He said he hoped the protesters and the government would find a solution to the crisis.
“Hong Kong is a very peaceful place,” said Khan. “We hope we can get Hong Kong back as what it was.”
“Many South Asians actually love our city very much. They love the city as much as we do,” he said. “We should stay together so we can get through things.”
From Hong Kong to South Korea, a look at Asia’s student-led protests
Waving the Union flag, the protesters chanted slogans and lined the pavements on both sides of Supreme Court Road in a human chain. Some said they also wanted Britain to give full citizenship to Hongkongers.
The protesters sang God Save the Queen and took a group photo before concluding the one-hour rally.