Six months after Yuen Long mob attack, most shops in vicinity ‘have yet to be approached’ by Hong Kong police

Of 30 local businesses located near the attack that spoke to the Post, just two said they had been approached by police

Security footage made available to local media within days of the attack never requested, one shop owner says

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Men in white T-shirts armed with poles are seen in Yuen Long after attacking anti-extradition bill demonstrators at the MTR station in July. Photo: Reuters

Published: 12:45pm, 19 Jan 2020Updated: 10:54pm, 19 Jan 2020

Key witnesses to the Yuen Long MTR station attack say they have yet to be interviewed by law enforcement agencies or asked to turn over security camera footage, six months after one of the most shocking outbreaks of violence during the ongoing Hong Kong protests.

The July 21 attack, in which a group of white-clad men armed with wooden sticks and metal poles injured 45 civilians and protesters, quickly provoked an outcry over the police response, with officers accused of colluding with the thugs by arriving late to the scene and failing to make arrests that night.

Police, for their part, have said they were stretched thin, as they were forced to deal with large anti-government protests the same night.

A total of 37 people – some with links to triads – have since been arrested for their roles in the attack, seven of whom have been charged with rioting, and police have said they were continuing to collect new evidence.

But the city’s Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) on Tuesday confirmed in its annual review that they were investigating complaints centred on that night’s policing, although no officers have been found guilty of misconduct at this point.

In a reply to the Post, the watchdog said they were following up on the complaints seriously. “Without [the Operations Review Committee’s] discussion and endorsement, the ICAC will not conclude an investigation,” it said.

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Six months after Yuen Long mob attack, most shops in vicinity ‘have yet to be approached’ by Hong Kong police

Of 30 local businesses located near the attack that spoke to the Post, just two said they had been approached by police Security footage made available to local media within days of the attack never requested, one shop owner says

Of 30 local businesses located near the attack that spoke to the Post, just two said they had been approached by police

Security footage made available to local media within days of the attack never requested, one shop owner says