Hong Kong anti-government protesters warned of risk of further violence in Yuen Long demonstration this weekend at site of mob attacks
- Local residents have planned a march from the Yuen Long police station to the MTR station where a gang of marauding men attacked commuters and protesters
- Lawmakers from across divide urge protesters not to follow through on online calls to attack rural villages and ancestral halls out of revenge
Anti-government protesters planning a mass rally in Hong Kong’s northern town of Yuen Long this weekend to condemn last Sunday’s vicious attacks on train passengers by a rampaging mob have been cautioned over the risk of further violence, with one pro-establishment lawmaker from the district warning of dire consequences if participants heed online calls to damage village properties.
Saturday’s planned protest was already causing concern on Tuesday as two local residents submitted an application to police for the march to the site of the attacks. About 100 men in white T-shirts assaulted anyone they came across at the MTR station with sticks and metal rods, leaving 45 people injured.
While it was business as usual in Yuen Long on Tuesday, after it was transformed into a ghost town the previous day, rumours were rife online about the possibility of further violence, contributing to an atmosphere of fear in anticipation of the weekend.
The Education University and the University of Hong Kong offered to help students in need, including hostel accommodations, if they were afraid of returning home to Yuen Long.
Secretary for Education Kevin Yeung Yun-hung said his bureau would also offer advice to schools in Yuen Long concerning their summer activities, with parents worried about their possible exposure to further violence.
