Opinion | Police must answer for their harsh response to Sunday's protest
Albert Cheng condemns unreasonable arrest of protesters, excessive use of pepper spray and tear gas, and the inappropriate threat of firearm use
As a former member of the Independent Police Complaints Council, I have been a staunch supporter of the Hong Kong police force. However, under the command of Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying and Commissioner of Police Andy Tsang Wai-hung, the force has repeatedly been compromised by political calculations.
The trend of selective enforcement of the law by the police is increasingly apparent. And the police are now more inclined to prosecute and use disproportionate force against protesters, especially their organisers. It hurts to see the force being dragged down to such a sorrowful state.
The way the force acted on September 28 has exposed the police command's lack of professionalism.
The students had gathered at Tamar Park as part of their class boycott activities, which started the previous Monday. The police presence was minimal at first, and reinforced only last Thursday after the Hong Kong Federation of Students declared protesters would march to Government House.
The next day, secondary students began their day of class boycotts, which was called by Scholarism. Both the central government offices and the Legislative Council building were heavily guarded by police vehicles.
That night, the convenor of the group, Joshua Wong Chi-fung, announced students would enter Civic Square right outside the government building. Armed police formed a line of defence and used pepper spray without warning, creating a major commotion. Four policemen carried Wong away by force. This high-handed approach infuriated the participants and chaos ensued.
