Hong Kong protesters attack MTR station supervisor and leave him needing hospital treatment for hand and neck injuries
- Man suffers neck and hand injures after incident at Po Lam MTR station
- Protesters again vandalise ticket machines and entry gates
The supervisor of a Hong Kong MTR station ended up in hospital after being attacked by anti-government protesters in the early hours of Thursday morning.
Protesters cornered the man at Po Lam station demanding to know why it had been closed on Saturday, when police and demonstrators again clashed in the city.
Police had to rescue the MTR Corporation employee, and the rail operator shut the station after officers had cleared protesters, who had again vandalised ticket machines and entry gates.
“Our company expresses anger about our worker being attacked, with station facilities being damaged. We strongly condemn all violent acts,” an MTR Corp spokesman said, adding the firm had reported the vandalism to the police.
MTR Corp has been suspending services at some stations, and even closing them ahead of, or during protests, a move that led critics to accuse it of kowtowing to Beijing after state newspaper, People’s Daily, published a commentary criticising the corporation.
Protesters had gathered on Wednesday evening to demand answers, and while waiting for the station supervisor, who witnesses claim did not return to talk to protesters despite saying he would, they vandalised ticket machines and entrance gates, as they chanted slogans outside.
They also put up a sign that accused the MTR of being the “Communist Party’s railway”.
The rail operator said the supervisor was off-duty and returned to Po Lam station by train at about midnight on Wednesday, but he was stopped from leaving the carriage and platform as well as being surrounded by protesters.
The incident escalated after a protester pushed the manager from behind, but the crowd ran away when police arrived.
After being escorted out of the station by police, the man was sent to hospital after suffering injuries to his hands and neck.
Officers were seen subduing two people, and a brief stand-off took place outside Po Lam Police Station, before more reinforcements arrived and officers cleared the handful of protesters remaining at Mau Yip Road.
Separately, in Mong Kok, a small group of protesters gathered outside the area’s police station, but ran away when officers appeared to disperse them.
