Protests over Yuen Long feature beer, champagne as some celebrate Hong Kong police officer’s coronavirus infection

Largely peaceful demonstrations feature small skirmishes with police, counter protesters in Causeway Bay, Kwun Tong and Cheung Sha Wan

Protester suggests police were ‘paying for their brutality’, while others condemned decision to attend large dinner party amid epidemic

Reading Time:3 minutes

Anti-government protesters in Central celebrate a riot police officer’s contracting of the coronavirus at a protest called to mark the July 21 Yuen Long mob attack. Photo: Xiaomei Chen

Published: 3:55pm, 21 Feb 2020Updated: 5:15pm, 21 Feb 2020

Peaceful lunchtime demonstrations intended to mark the seven months since the violent mob attack on protesters and railway passengers in Yuen Long offered a twist on Friday, with many of the 200 taking part around Hong Kong celebrating the coronavirus infection of a riot police officer with beer and champagne.

At the atrium of the Landmark shopping centre in Central, about 50 people gathered at 1pm, with some placing a dozen Corona beers on the ground to “celebrate the infection with the coronavirus of a police officer”.

“Please feel free to take a beer and join our celebration,” a protester told passers-by.

David Li, a protest co-organiser in his early 20s, said: “The police are now paying for their brutality in the past months in handling protests. We finally have something to be happy about amid the virus outbreak.”

Anti-riot police monitor anti-government protesters in Central at a lunchtime rally to commemorate the July 21 Yuen Long mob attack. Photo: Xiaomei Chen

Gloris Chan, a regular participant at lunchtime protests, accused the force of stockpiling face masks and protective gear during the epidemic, pointing to a recent media report that said the force received the second-largest batch of masks among all government departments.

Select Voice

Choose your listening speed

Get through articles 2x faster

1.25x

250 WPM

Slow

Average

Fast

00:0000:00

1.25x