“I am absolutely willing to apologise to residents for how it was handled.”

The Police Inspectors’ Association hit back in a statement, saying: “Your remarks have shattered our firm belief in our duty. Your words have completely written off our efforts in maintaining law and order over the past few months, and written off our sacrifices, too. You have completely disappointed us. We can’t even understand your words, let alone agree with them.”

“The secretary absolutely supports the law enforcement work of the police force and highly commends their efforts. Upon the receipt of an invitation from the police, a meeting will be arranged as soon as possible,” the source said.

No police were around to protect the victims in the two late-night attacks that left at least 45 people injured, and officers arrived too late in response to frantic 999 calls.

The assailants were said to be from nearby villages that form the social and political power base of the district, and online calls for protesters to retaliate against them have sparked concerns about the risk of violent clashes.

He said he would march alone, but police are expecting around 100,000 people to push ahead with what would now be an unlawful assembly.

Police also rejected three more applications to hold protest marches in the northern town and in Central and Western districts.

Sources told the Post that more than 3,000 police officers would be deployed to maintain order.

“Officers in full riot gear will be stationed at the entrance of some of the villages,” one police insider said. “Officers will form a human wall if protesters try to storm into villages.”

Other sources said police would arrest protesters on the spot if they turned up in manageable numbers, but a mass rally would have to be handled differently.

If protesters attack police lines despite repeated warnings, another source said, officers will use tear gas, rubber bullets and sponge-tipped rounds to disperse them.

Yuen Long residents were preparing for a state of siege, stockpiling food in advance.

After it was besieged and pelted with eggs and paint balls by protesters last week, Beijing’s liaison office in Western District was taking no chances ahead of another march planned for Sunday from Central to the Sun Yat-sen Memorial Park, which is just 1km (0.6 miles) away from the office.

While heavy water-filled barricades had been set up to protect the building front on Friday, the march was also banned by police, who only agreed to an assembly at Chater Garden in Central.

Protesters occupy part of Hong Kong airport in extradition bill sit-in

The mass protests that erupted early last month were first triggered by the extradition bill that would have allowed the transfer of suspects to mainland China, but have escalated into wider outpourings of grievances against the government.

Groups in public service, including civil servants, hospital staff and airport workers, have been issuing statements or holding rallies against the government and police in support of the protest movement.

Aviation workers were among an estimated 15,000 protesters who staged a marathon sit-in at Hong Kong International Airport on Friday, while more than 100 elite civil servants spoke out as well.

Among their demands were calls for the city’s embattled leader, Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor, to appoint a judge-led commission of inquiry to investigate the roots of the crisis as well as the use of force by police.

Police leader slams ‘cockroaches’ who trashed legislator’s parents’ graves

Police are strongly against such an inquiry because of the insinuation that their conduct was questionable when they themselves have complained of being attacked and abused by protesters.

For the first time, the Department of Justice also waded in, with 20 government lawyers distancing themselves from the administration in an anonymous statement and pledging to protect citizens’ rights.

“Whatever our personal political stance may be, we have always adhered to the rule of law,” they said.

“Nevertheless, we, as Hong Kong citizens and members of the legal profession, will resolutely defend the fundamental human rights of Hong Kong people, enshrined in the Basic Law.”

In an open letter to Lam, five former and current leaders of the pro-business Liberal Party echoed the calls for the inquiry and the complete withdrawal of the bill.

Party leader Felix Chung Kwok-pan went a step further, writing in a column that the chief executive “should leave if the current chaos has been unbearable for her”.

Additional reporting by Kimmy Chung, Victor Ting, Kanis Leung, Clifford Lo, Alvin Lum and Karen Zhang