Hong Kong pupils cover faces in citywide protests marking one month since mask ban introduced
- Students from at least five schools take part in demonstrations, including a march in support of two arrested students from elite secondary
- The controversial ban was brought in on October 5 to curb anti-government unrest that has gripped city since June
Pupils marked one month since the introduction of the mask ban in Hong Kong on Tuesday by covering their faces in protest, as students at a top secondary marched in support of two arrested schoolmates.
Young people from at least five city schools wore masks in defiance of the legislation, which came into force on October 5 as part of the government’s attempt to quell protests that have raged since June.
About 70 students marched from Kowloon Tong train station to La Salle College on Tuesday morning, against what they called police brutality and inhumane arrests, a day after dozens had staged a sit-in on the campus.
Two pupils from the elite boys school, from Form Five and Form Six, were released on bail on Monday afternoon after they were arrested during Saturday’s protests in Wan Chai on suspicion of unlawful assembly, according to the school’s student concern group.
A Form 6 student from La Salle College, a member of the concern group who gave his surname as Ng, said the school authorities had supported the two arrested pupils, including through legal assistance.