No political motivation involved in July 1 Victoria Park booking, insists Hong Kong pro-Beijing stalwart
Cheng Yiu-tong insists everything was done by the book, while organiser of annual anti-government march says they are looking at alternative starting point
The head of a pro-Beijing committee in charge of commemorative events for the 20th anniversary of Hong Kong’s handover to China denied their decision to hold an event at Victoria Park on July 1 – the starting point for the annual anti-government rally – was politically motivated.
Cheng Yiu-tong of the Hong Kong Celebrations Association instead asked the public to be “fairer”, as this was only the first time they had applied for the use of six soccer pitches.
During a press conference with 40 pro-Beijing groups on Monday, Cheng insisted everything was done by the book.
“We have received official confirmation from the Home Affairs Department that the venue has been granted for our use,” Cheng said, adding they made the application on March 15.
But the front said it had applied to use the pitches at the earliest possible time of April, three months in advance as suggested by the rules.
Cheng did not explain why his group could make a request in March.
The front’s bid to use the park’s central lawn and the bandstand was still being processed, but convenor Au Nok-hin said they were now making alternative arrangements.
“We have already notified the police of our intention to use [the areas around] Hong Kong Central Library, Great George Street and East Point Road as the rally starting point,” Au said, adding he hoped there would be a concrete plan after a meeting with the force on Wednesday.
It is widely expected that President Xi Jinping will visit the city to mark the anniversary, leading the front to believe that the pro-Beijing association had tried to muffle opposition by organising a science expo at the park.
The Leisure and Cultural Services Department said it was processing the front’s application to use the central lawn in Victoria Park in accordance with established procedures and guidelines, taking into account crowd control, traffic, public safety and other considerations, and would seek advice from other relevant government departments.
The expo, being held from 10am to 9pm between June 29 and July 2, will showcase a number of exhibits from China’s space programme, including the Long March 1 rocket and the Tianzhou 1 unmanned cargo spacecraft.
The association expected “a few hundred thousand” people to turn up for the event.
Asked if he feared there would be clashes due to the event’s proximity with protesters gathering nearby, Cheng said it was up to the government to decide how to prevent potential conflict.
“But let’s be fair … Hong Kong is a multicultural society. You can organise rallies, but others wish to see more joyful events,” he said.
The expo is one of 530 commemorative events the association is organising around the city. Others include pop concerts, singing competitions and photo and art exhibitions.
The estimated cost of HK$10 million will be footed by sponsors.
