Thousands attend memorial service in Hong Kong for student Chow Tsz-lok, who died after car-park fall near police dispersal operation
- Chow, 22, was reported to have fallen from third to second floor of car park in Tseung Kwan O, near site of a protest and police clearance operation
- Exact circumstances of the student’s fall remain unclear
Thousands of Hongkongers from all walks of life attended a memorial service on Thursday for a university student who died a month ago after falling from a car park in unexplained circumstances near a police operation.
The student was reported to have fallen from the third floor to the second floor of a car park in Tseung Kwan O on November 4, near the site of a protest and police clearance operation.
On Thursday evening, Chow’s family held a public Christian service at Po Fook Memorial Hall in Tai Wai.
Before nightfall, a long queue had formed outside the hall with people wanting to pay their respects to Chow. They included secondary school pupils, university students, workers and some dressed all in black and wearing masks.
Although the service was scheduled to end at 8pm, the doors were kept open because of the large turnout.
“The investigation must go on, regardless of what the truth is [about Chow’s death],” he said.
A 45-year-old housewife, surnamed Ng, brought white flowers to the hall.
“I have children too and seeing Chow’s death being filled with uncertainties pains my heart,” Ng said, adding she was not sure the Coroner’s Court inquest would shine a light on the student’s fall.
Kelvin Leung Ming-hin, vice-president of the university’s student union, said he hoped people would not forget about Chow and the circumstances surrounding his death.
Leung also said he hoped Chow’s family could eventually recover from the loss.
There were dozens of wreaths from family, friends and HKUST staff and alumni, as well as from local politicians including Civic Party leader Alvin Yeung Ngok-kiu.
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Inside the hall, attendants laid white flowers in front of Chow’s portrait, as a video slide show of the young man’s photos was played on a screen. The video showed Chow as a child, young student and sportsman.
HKUST president Wei Shyy, dean of engineering Tim Cheng Kwang-ting and school council chairman Andrew Liao Cheung-sing attended the service but did not speak to the media, and neither did Chow’s family. Cardinal Joseph Zen Ze-kiun and singer Denise Ho Wan-sze, a pro-democracy activist, were also there.
The exact circumstances of Chow’s fall remain unclear, but many blame police, who were at the time conducting clearance operations nearby against protesters trying to disrupt an officer’s wedding.
Some also alleged police delayed medical help for Chow, who was only put into an ambulance about 30 minutes after he was found. The force said no officers entered the car park in that time.
Chow’s death sparked both peaceful and violent protests involving clashes with police.
Link Reit, which runs the car park, released security camera footage from inside the facility, but the clips did not capture the fall.
Meanwhile, thousands of people gathered at Edinburgh Place in Central on Thursday night to commemorate the six-month anniversary of the protest on June 12, when police fired tear gas against protesters who tried stop the legislature from debating the controversial extradition bill. That legislation, since withdrawn, sparked the protests which have grown over the past six months into a wider anti-government movement.
The organiser estimated 43,000 people joined the rally, while police said turnout peaked at 5,800.
The protesters observed a minute of silence for Chow, and reiterated the five demands that they said the government should address, including setting up an independent inquiry into the police force’s response to the unrest.
Some protesters set up roadblocks on nearby Lung Wo Road at about 9.30pm, but were soon removed by rally marshals and police. The rally ended peacefully at about 10pm.
