Police were last night accused of tightening controls against activists planning to demonstrate at Monday's handover anniversary by moving them 200 metres further away from dignitaries than in 1997.
At least four groups have contacted police requesting permission to demonstrate on July 1 when President Jiang Zemin and other leaders attend the fifth handover anniversary celebrations and the inauguration ceremony of the SAR's new ruling team at the Convention and Exhibition Centre in Wan Chai.
Police are now planning to designate two protest areas - one outside Immigration Tower and the other outside Central Plaza along Harbour Road.
A spokesman for Falun Gong, Chan Wing-kwong, said the group initially requested to stage a 250-people rally in Convention Avenue to call on state leaders to stop suppressing their fellow practitioners on the mainland.
But he said they were told that they could only stage their rally outside the Immigration Tower as Convention Avenue would be cordoned off.
'It seems the police have not considered the needs of demonstrators despite a lot of voices being raised against their tightening of controls,' Mr Chan said.
Another group - abode seekers - requested permission to stage a demonstration near the ceremony venue.
