Hong Kong journalism groups accuse police of assaulting reporters and photographers during extradition bill clashes in Mong Kok
- Hong Kong Journalists Association and Hong Kong Press Photographers Association issue joint statement
- Groups claim three serious incidents took place and police again failed to display identification numbers
Hong Kong journalism groups have accused police of assaulting journalists and obstructing reporting during running battles between officers and extradition bill protesters on Sunday.
In a joint statement, the Hong Kong Journalists Association and Hong Kong Press Photographers Association, claimed that during the clearance of protesters on Nathan Road in Mong Kok, officers had repeatedly pushed reporters and photographers on the front line, and even assaulted them.
These moves limited coverage of proceedings and impacted the freedom of the press, the associations said on Monday, in the 11th such statement since the protests began in June.
Video footage taken at the scene showed some officers involved in the clashes had not displayed their identity numbers or shown warrant cards, making any potential complaint more difficult.
Following the clearance operation, police arrested five people on suspicion of assaulting an officer and obstructing police in the execution of their duties. A sixth person was arrested for failing to provide proof of identity during the earlier peaceful march from Tsim Sha Tsui to West Kowloon station.
The associations said most reporters at the scene had put on reflective vests with “Press” prominently displayed on the front, as well as showing their media badges, and had moved backwards in cooperation with police.
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“However, despite multiple declarations of their identity as reporters, they still got jostled deliberately by police. We severely condemn the incidents,” the associations said.
The statement listed three cases which the two groups found to be “extremely serious”. In the first, the associations said a photographer working for online media HK01 was elbowed in the abdomen by a female police officer while taking pictures of two tourists quarrelling on Canton Road on Sunday afternoon.
In another incident, a female photographer with Apple Daily, a Chinese language newspaper, was shoved by a male officer, who loudly accused her of pushing him.
Finally, a reporter with Metro Radio was obstructed by officers while filming and was told: “Reporters enjoy no privilege. You step back when we ask.”
In Mong Kok on Sunday night, riot police kept pushing their defensive line forward and reporters were hit by police shields in the process, the statement said.
The associations also claimed that when a protester was asked by a reporter if they had been assaulted by police, officers immediately took the protester away and told the reporter to leave.
A plain-clothes police officer was spotted by Stand News, a website, dispersing protesters in Mong Kok with a baton. When asked to show his warrant card, officers at the scene shouted: “We don’t need warrant cards when we operate.”
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It was not the first time officers had failed to display their official serial numbers. On June 10 and 12, special tactical squads deployed to forcibly removed protesters were also found to not be displaying any official identification.
“In multiple recent marches and rallies, police officers were found jostling and even insulting reporters. We hope the force will tackle the problem and respect the media’s right of coverage,” the two associations said.
Last month the journalists association said it had collected 27 cases of reporters who claimed to have been subjected to excessive use of force and stopped from doing their jobs by police.
The cases have been submitted to the Independent Police Complaints Council, with the associations making formal complaints.
In its annual report released on Sunday, Chris Yeung Kin-hing, the association’s chairman, said the next 12 months were set to be a difficult year for reporters in Hong Kong.
“There are concerns that people’s right to know will be jeopardised if reporters are not given easy and safe access to the places where news events are unfolding,” the report concluded.
The Post has contacted police for comment.
