Macau Chief Executive Edmund Ho Hau-wah yesterday defended the actions of police who used tear-gas on protesters on Sunday, saying they had taken only 'adequate and necessary measures'.
Speaking at a specially convened press conference, Mr Ho said police had decided to throw tear-gas to avoid violent clashes. 'Nobody would like to see this type of situation occurring again,' he said.
Police threw eight rounds of tear-gas to clear a busy junction of about 100 demonstrators in the Inner Harbour on Sunday. The protest march against unemployment had begun peacefully in the working-class Areia Preta district in the afternoon. But the protest turned violent when some protesters pelted police, bystanders and journalists with stones and bamboo poles after police refused their demand to leave the arranged route.
The situation resulted in a three-hour stand-off between about 100 protesters and the same number of police. The demonstrators were given several ultimatums before the tear-gas was thrown. The crowd dispersed quickly.
A police spokesman said yesterday the use of tear-gas was 'the best way of avoiding physical conflict'. He said the protesters had broken the law by attacking police with stones and by trying to leave the route.
Eight protesters who were arrested were released yesterday after being questioned at the public prosecutor's office. Five face charges and will appear before an examining magistrate today. Under Macau law, suspects are charged by the courts, not the police.
