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We didn't use excessive force: police

Accusations of heavy-handed treatment made after 12 are hurt in an operation to remove protesters from government HQ

Police yesterday sought to defend themselves against claims they used excessive force to remove demonstrators who attempted to storm Central Government Offices.

Clashes broke out between police and about 100 protesters opposed to Beijing's decision to interpret the Basic Law when dozens of officers started removing them from the CGO complex early yesterday. Five police officers, six protesters and a journalist were hurt.

Chief Secretary Donald Tsang Yam-kuen said he understood people's worries about the National People's Congress Standing Committee's interpretation of the Basic Law, but he urged them to express their views by peaceful means.

Four journalists' and photographers' associations also expressed regret at the clashes between police and the media during the operation, with some criticising police for infringing press freedom by removing journalists from the scene before the operation started.

Two of the demonstrators, Tse Sze-chun, 27, and Fung Yuk-wai, 25, were arrested for assaulting police officers. They were released on $500 bail each and asked to report to the police on Wednesday.

A station sergeant remained in Queen Mary Hospital in stable condition last night, while the rest of those injured were treated and discharged.

The scuffles occurred after a group of 300 people marched to the offices just after a 3,000-strong candle-light vigil at Chater Garden, Central, ended at 9.15pm. The group was trying to back 30 members of the Hong Kong Federation of Students who had earlier entered the CGO compound by sneaking through a gate at Lower Albert Road when it opened for a vehicle. The students had refused police requests for them to move, pledging to stay there overnight.

Police started their first operation about 4am, removing the 30 students from CGO. In a second operation at around 6.30am all protesters were removed from the area outside the main gate.

Hong Kong Federation of Students spokesman Yu Kwun-wai said the sit-in inside CGO had been peaceful, with students' sole aim to hand a petition letter to Chief Executive Tung Chee-hwa.

'If the chief executive had received our letter either that night or this morning, we would have left peacefully,' Mr Yu said.

He said protesters had offered to move away from the main gate to an area in front of the east wing, so as not to disturb CGO's operations, but their offer was refused.

'We feel surprised and angry at the police for using violence during the operation,' he said. 'Protesters were injured during the process.'

Human Rights Monitor director Law Yuk-kai also questioned the removal operation, saying protesters were forced to resort to 'civil disobedience' as there was no effective channel to express their views against the interpretation.

Democrat legislator James To Kun-sun said the clashes could have been avoided had senior officials accepted the petition.

A government spokesman said a directorate grade official had been sent to receive the letter and had also offered to arrange a time for the students to hand in the petition to a senior official yesterday.

Officials were unable to promise to meet an additional demand of fixing a time to meet the constitutional taskforce, he added.

Police spokesman Chief Superintendent Alfred Ma Wai-luk said police needed to ensure the smooth operation of CGO and the demonstrators had been given sufficient warning that their rally was illegal before they were removed.

'Throughout the whole process, police exercised restraint and used only appropriate and minimum force,' Mr Ma said.

He said a report on the incident would be compiled for the Department of Justice to decide whether to take prosecution action over the illegal rally.

The Hong Kong Federation of Students will meet the government's taskforce on constitutional reform today.

About 30 representatives of pro-democracy political groups yesterday started a five-day sit-in at the Star Ferry in Central.

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