Masked men claiming to work for government, fire services join hands with Hong Kong protesters to condemn alleged police brutality

Four men claiming to be members of Hong Kong’s disciplined services joined a group of masked protesters and two civil servants for a press conference on Monday to condemn alleged police brutality during the ongoing anti-government protests.

The four, who were masked, said they were from the fire service, immigration, and customs departments, and were taking part in such an event for the first time. None offered to show any proof of their job.

The news conference came after another weekend of chaos that saw riot police accidentally hit a fire truck with a tear-gas canister on Saturday, prompting an angry exchange that ended in officers surrounding and pushing a firefighter.

In a sign of fraying relations between the city’s frontline protection agencies, a man presenting himself as a fire service officer said at the protesters’ press conference: “We demand police officers stop interfering with our first aid work, and stop their impolite treatment of our colleagues.”

Hong Kong has been gripped by more than four months of political turmoil that was sparked by opposition to a now-withdrawn extradition bill, which would have allowed the transfer of criminal suspects to mainland China, among other jurisdictions.