Hong Kong's police chief has expressed confidence that Sunday's anti-Japan march will be peaceful and says there will be no need to map out a route that avoids Japanese shops and offices.
Police Commissioner Dick Lee Ming-kwai said 500 people were expected to join the march from Victoria Park to the Central Government Offices.
He pointed out that recent petitions had been handed to the Japanese consulate in an orderly manner. 'We foresee that the event will be a peaceful one, but if there are events such as the storming of buildings, we will have safety measures available to deal with them.'
Mr Lee added that while security would be improved outside consular premises and Japanese-linked buildings, Japanese firms and agencies had made no requests for police protection. The exact route had not yet been fleshed out.