Hong Kong protests: ‘irresponsible’ to downplay safety risks of rallies, security chief Chris Tang warns after May 1 event organiser urges authorities not to exaggerate matter
- Secretary for Security Chris Tang chimes in two days after former core members of defunct union group revealed they had met police over Labour Day application
- Separately, Tang departs city for four-day trip to capital and region to discuss national security and cross-border crimes with mainland counterparts
Downplaying the safety risks of a public rally is an “irresponsible” act and organisers should take action to prevent events from being hijacked, Hong Kong’s security chief has said as police consider approving a Labour Day march expected to attract 500 residents.
Secretary for Security Chris Tang Ping-keung’s remarks on Monday were criticised by the organiser of the protest, who said a week ahead of the planned event that it was the responsibility of police officers to ensure law and order during a demonstration.
Before departing the city for a work trip to mainland China, Tang said: “These safety risks exist. Anyone intending to downplay the risks brought by these activities, saying, ‘It’s fine, please come, it’s safe’, that’s irresponsible behaviour.”
He added organisers had a responsibility to ensure events were held in a safe and orderly manner and they should “take reasonable actions” to identify genuine participants and prevent a rally from being hijacked.
But Joe Wong Nai-yuen, former chairman of the now-defunct Confederation of Trade Unions, said there was “nothing much” organisers could do before an event and that police might have overreacted in assessing the risks.
“We fully understand our duties in deploying marshals to facilitate the march. But it’s the force’s responsibility to ensure law and order and that risk assessments should not solely consider comments on social media,” he said.