Police chief praises officers on 100th day of Hong Kong protests while association warns petrol bomb attacks by protesters could be met with live ammunition
- Junior Police Officers’ Association issues statement on 100th day of anti-government protests sparked by now-withdrawn extradition bill
- Commissioner Stephen Lo gives full support to officers, thanking them for their professionalism during ‘challenging and difficult times’
Hong Kong’s police chief commended his officers on Monday for their bravery and unswerving determination over the past 100 days of protest crisis as the force’s biggest association warned that members could fire live rounds at radicals who attack them with petrol bombs.
The warning by the Junior Police Officers’ Association came after more than 10 black-clad protesters hurled at least three firebombs at two traffic policemen in Wan Chai on Sunday, when 55 people were arrested.
The two officers drew their revolvers in response, the fourth time police had done so since protests broke out in early June, sparked by the government’s now-shelved extradition bill. No rounds were fired, unlike in two previous incidents when officers shot skywards as a warning.
The latest skirmish took place under the Marsh Road Flyover in Gloucester Road, Wan Chai at about 5.45pm on Sunday, when a superintendent and a constable of the Hong Kong Island traffic unit were escorting a fleet of police vehicles.
Sunday began with an illegal but peaceful march that descended into violence as the city marked the 15th weekend of consecutive protests.
Since the movement began 100 days ago with a mass demonstration on June 9, 1,453 people – 1,173 men and 280 women – aged between 12 and 72 have been arrested for various offences during marches, rallies, demonstrations and clashes between protesters and police.