Hong Kong police deny groups’ application for July 1 rally against ‘political suppression’
- The force cited the ongoing coronavirus pandemic in declining to grant permission for the march
- The event would have coincided with the anniversaries of both the city’s handover from Britain to China, and the founding of the Communist Party
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On Saturday, newly appointed police chief Raymond Siu Chak-yee had said officers would assess the risk of any gathering based on national security concerns, the civil rights of the applicants, and public safety and order.
In the objection letter, police said public processions remained a “high-risk activity” that “posed a great threat to the health and lives of the general public, endangering public safety and affecting the rights of others”.
Eddie Tse Sai-kit, of Save Lantau Alliance – formed in 2014 to oppose the government’s plans for a mass land-reclamation project – told the Post the organisers had promised to ensure people marched in groups of no more than four spaced at least 1.5 metres apart, in compliance with social-distancing rules.
But in rejecting the proposal, the force said it had “reasons to believe” the measures would not “safeguard public order, safety, and others’ rights and freedom”.
Tse, however, pledged to appeal the decision, saying: “The government has already relaxed the number of people allowed to gather indoors. Why not outdoors?”
He also pointed to the recent promotion of former secretary for security John Lee Ka-chiu to Hong Kong’s No 2 position, and ex-police commissioner Chris Tang Ping-keung’s selection to take his place.
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Describing both as law-and-order hardliners, Tse said: “Why is the government so scared of letting people voice their concerns on the streets?”
Every year, the July 1 march has coincided with the anniversary of Hong Kong’s handover to China, and from 2003 to 2018, the annual rallies were largely peaceful.
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Last year, Hong Kong marked its handover anniversary under the new reality of the national security law, which was imposed the night before, prompting thousands of residents to take to the streets.
Police ultimately deployed a water cannon, fired pepper balls and used pepper spray to disperse the protesters. About 370 people were arrested, including 10 for allegedly violating the security law.
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This year, meanwhile, will be the first time that many of Hong Kong’s top officials and politicians will be out of the city for the anniversary.
Lee has remained in Hong Kong to serve as acting chief executive for the commemoration of the handover, while Siu also stayed behind to oversee the force’s mobilisation for the event.
Official events in Hong Kong will include a flag-raising ceremony at Golden Bauhinia Square, followed by a reception at the Convention and Exhibition Centre, where Lee is expected to speak.
The Hong Kong Celebrations Association, a pro-Beijing group, will also organise a series of events including a fishing boat parade, a marathon, a screening of a mainland China-produced movie about the Communist Party and a nighttime light show that will run from Thursday to Sunday in Admiralty’s Tamar Park.
The similarly Beijing-friendly Kowloon Federation of Associations will organise a variety show in Tsim Sha Tsui for its members.
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When June 4 arrived, officers established a cordon around part of the park, set up roadblocks on major thoroughfares to check vehicles and mobilised a water cannon truck to deal with any unauthorised assemblies. Several people were arrested over the course of the evening.
