Hong Kong protest organiser worried about risk of further violence at coming march in Yuen Long against gang attacks
- Activists planning to march in Yuen Long on Saturday to protest vicious attacks that left at least 45 people injured
- Lawmaker Junius Ho doubles down in row with Eddie Chu telling him to choose next steps carefully
The organiser of Saturday’s planned march in a tense northern Hong Kong town has admitted he is worried about potential clashes between protesters and gangsters that would lead to a repeat of recent violence which has gripped the community.
“After the protest, we will organise an assembly under the Yuen Long MTR station. Anyone can take part. We can’t control what different people would do afterwards,” Chung said. “To be honest, I’m worried.”
His comments came after legislator Junius Ho Kwan-yiu doubled down in his dispute with pro-democracy lawmaker Eddie Chu Hoi-dick over the matter, telling him in a Facebook live post to choose between the paths of life or death.
Ho had earlier roused the anger of protesters by shaking hands with men in white T-shirts on the night of the unprecedented violence, when passengers, passers-by, and anti-government protesters returning from a rally in Causeway Bay were attacked by 100 men wielding sticks and iron rods.
In response to Sunday night’s violence at the station, which left 45 people injured, angry social media activists called for a protest to be held this weekend, and demand an independent inquiry be set up to investigate the attack.
Police suspect the attack was carried out because of differences in political views. To the anger of some rural villagers in Yuen Long, some other residents have set up “Lennon Walls” to show their disapproval over the government’s now-suspended extradition bill.
The legislation, if passed, would have allowed fugitives in Hong Kong to be transferred to places the city does not have extradition agreements with, including mainland China.
Officers have been criticised by those who believe they were slow to respond to the incident. As of Thursday night, 11 people had been arrested, and sources said 10 other attackers had already fled the city.
Chung was still in talks with police over details of the protest, including its route. But so far organisers planned to start near the Yuen Long police station and end about 1.4km away at the MTR station.
About 100 marshals would be used to maintain order, Chung said. A potential flashpoint between protesters and villagers could be where the protest is expected to finish, which is close to a village there.
On this, Chung said 10 marshals would stand between the end and the village to try to minimise conflict.
Pro-Beijing lawmaker and rural leader, Leung Che-cheung, told protesters in a radio programme not to come to Yuen Long this weekend, as he feared what was planned to be a peaceful protest could turn violent, as had happened in recent weeks.
Meanwhile, the Civil Human Rights Front has called on foreign consulates in Hong Kong to issue a travel alert for the city in light of the violent brawl in Yuen Long, and to press the government to protect foreign nationals living there.
In an open letter issued to diplomats from 61 countries, the pro-democracy group said the clash was no different to a “terrorists attack”. It added that city leader Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor should bear the sole responsibility for the unrest for not responding to demands from protesters, and called for universal suffrage.
“When Carrie Lam’s government continues to ignore the Hong Kong people’s legitimate demands, including a request to set up an independent inquiry, discontent will only be built up to a boiling point, and the social situation aggravated,” the front wrote.
“Therefore, CHRF urges you to officially request the HKSAR Government to promise to protect your citizens’ personal and property safety, and to issue an outbound travel alert to prevent them from being victims of violence of mobs and the Hong Kong Police Force.”
In a separate development, internet users are planning two marches ending at the Sun Yat-sen Memorial Park in the Western District on the next two Sundays.
The park is about 1km away from Beijing’s liaison office in Hong Kong, which was besieged on July 21 by protesters, with some defacing its national emblem with black paintballs.
The march this Sunday will be from Chater Garden in Central to the park. It seeks to decry police’s firing of tear gas and rubber bullets in a clash with protesters in Sheung Wan on July 21.
On August 4, protesters will march from Forbes Street Temporary Playground in Kennedy Town to Sun Yat-sen Memorial Park. Organisers of that rally said they would invite Ho to join them so he could “have a dialogue with young people”.
