Hong Kong man, 43, arrested over photos of elite ‘Flying Tigers’ police squad in action near PolyU clash
- He is also accused of uploading the images on social media
- Suspect is a contract employee of Hong Kong Museum of History, where police operation occurred
A Hong Kong man has been arrested for allegedly taking photographs of an elite police squad known as the “Flying Tigers”, who were involved in a clearance operation last weekend amid protests in Tsim Sha Tsui.
The 43-year-old was on Friday arrested in Kwun Tong on suspicion of obstructing police officers from executing their duties, the force confirmed. He was accused of using a mobile phone to record officers in the middle of their operation on Sunday at the Hong Kong Museum of History, near Polytechnic University (PolyU), as well as uploading the picture on social media.
The campus on Chatham Road South in Tsim Sha Tsui was the scene of fierce clashes between radicals and police, later developing into a stand-off that lasted for days.
A police source confirmed that the officers involved were from the elite Special Duties Unit or so-called Flying Tigers. The suspect was a contract employee of the museum. The offence carries a maximum penalty of two years’ imprisonment.
Hong Kong has been gripped by more than five months of social unrest, sparked by the now-withdrawn extradition bill that would have allowed for the transfer of fugitives to jurisdictions with which the city has no such agreement, including mainland China.
‘Prison flying tigers’ join fight against Hong Kong protesters
The protests have since morphed into a wider anti-government movement focused on universal suffrage and an independent investigation into police’s use of force.
On Sunday, riot police surrounded and laid siege to PolyU, the last stronghold of hardcore protesters, who also disrupted traffic arteries and crippled the nearby Cross-Harbour Tunnel, which is still out of service.
As of Saturday this weekend, most of the radicals have left the campus, with police arresting hundreds at checkpoints out of the university.
