Explainer | Explainer: What to know about interim High Court injunction to ban anti-government protesters from Hong Kong International Airport

Hong Kong’s anti-government protesters learned on Wednesday that the Airport Authority had secured an interim court injunction order to ban them from Hong Kong International Airport after a mass sit-in that lasted for five days, cancelling hundreds of flights and descending into clashes with police on Tuesday. Although the court order does allow the protesters to remain in two designated areas in the arrivals hall, the authority said it was unlikely to grant such requests in the short term.

An interim injunction order is typically applied against a person or group to make them do or refrain from a certain act. It could also be used against any unnamed persons that fit certain criteria drawn up by the applicant for the injunction. The Airport Authority seeks to stop any persons “unlawfully and wilfully obstructing or interfering with the proper use” of the airport. It will also grant authority to its staff and the Aviation Security Company to enforce the order. Court bailiffs and the police could be asked to clear any obstruction.