Opinion | If Hong Kong’s extradition bill protesters want to defend the rule of law, they must also be prepared to face it

Attacking officers and refusing to let those inside the police headquarters leave are criminal acts, while besieging government offices to force the chief executive to interfere in prosecution decisions could be seen as an attempt to pervert justice

Reading Time:3 minutes

Officers stand inside the police headquarters in Wan Chai after the complex was blockaded by protesters calling for the complete withdrawal of the government’s extradition bill. Photo: Bloomberg

Published: 12:45pm, 26 Jun 2019Updated: 8:41pm, 26 Jun 2019

Although Hong Kong’s greatest strength is the rule of law, it cannot be taken for granted. It has been repeatedly affronted this month, often by people who should have known far better. Although peaceful protest is all well and good, mob violence is not.

On Friday, efforts were made by protesters to enforce their political demands by criminal means. By causing chaos in Admiralty and the surrounding areas, they hoped to compel Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor to capitulate to their demands.

These included, most disturbingly, dropping prosecution action against alleged rioters suspected of attacking the police with sharpened metal rods, bricks and other objects, as they attempted to storm the Legislative Council building on June 12. At the very least, their demands smacked of criminal intimidation, although the actual criminality goes far deeper.

The people who besieged the police headquarters for over 15 hours, and sought to intimidate its occupants, must face the full force of the law, particularly if they were the ringleaders. Although the most obvious offence is false imprisonment, this was also an unlawful assembly.

There were also assaults on police officers, who had oil splashed on them, with criminal damage being caused to the building and its equipment. Although the offences themselves are clear, the challenge for the police will now be to identify the culprits.

The siege, moreover, was carefully planned and must be seen in context. Immediately before, various opposition figures publicly threatened Lam with dire consequences if she did not stop the prosecution of the suspects. She was told that the government headquarters would be surrounded if she did not do as she was told, and civil disobedience would ensue.

Select Voice

Choose your listening speed

Get through articles 2x faster

1.25x

250 WPM

Slow

Average

Fast

00:0000:00

1.25x