Hong Kong protesters call off Harbour City disruption after shopping centre’s owners ban police unless crime is being committed
- Wharf Reic owns shopping centres in Tsim Sha Tsui, Causeway Bay and Diamond Hill
- Protesters had threatened to stage ‘Summer Happy Hour’ demonstration at its Harbour City mall on Thursday night
The owner of several major shopping centres in Hong Kong has asked police not to enter its malls unless a crime has taken place, after anti-government protesters threatened to disrupt businesses at one location.
Wharf Real Estate Investment Company’s decision partly prompted protesters to call off a plan to swarm the Harbour City centre it manages in Tsim Sha Tsui on Thursday.
The move came after another developer faced a backlash earlier for allegedly mishandling clashes between protesters and the force at one of its arcades.
Organisers had wanted to stage protests to force major companies to support their demands for the withdrawal of the now-abandoned extradition bill, and the setting up of an independent commission of inquiry to investigate the police’s handling of the ongoing demonstrations.
Notices placed at Harbour City and other locations managed by Wharf Reic, including Times Square in Causeway Bay, and Plaza Hollywood in Diamond Hill, read: “We will do our best to ensure customers’ safety in the mall. Police, please do not enter unless crimes happen.”