Cultural Centre security guards disturbing their slumber
Street sleepers who have been dossing down undisturbed outside the Cultural Centre in Tsim Sha Tsui for years say security guards have suddenly started harassing them with loudspeakers and taking pictures.
Social workers say the crackdown by the guards, working for a company contracted to the Leisure and Cultural Services Department, apparently followed a magazine article about the 'comfortable life' led by the homeless in the area.
The street sleepers say the guards have been shouting 'wake up' into loudspeakers held a metre from their ears.
Society for Community Organisation (Soco) community organiser Ng Wai-tung said the department had told him loudspeakers would not be used in future but it could not be seen to be tolerating street sleeping in the area.
A Mr Leung, who says he has been sleeping outside the performing arts venue for eight years, said he had been rudely awakened in a crackdown last month. 'There were about six security guards and they yelled into the loudspeakers 'wake up, wake up, wake up or I'll call the police',' Mr Leung said. 'They also threatened to use the loudspeakers to wake us every hour.'