Hong Kong protests: mass action planned for Wednesday as city braces for anthem bill debate at Legco
- Police close off roads around legislature, pledge to help lawmakers gain access to complex in event of demonstrations
- Groups at dozens of secondary schools have encouraged peers to rally against controversial law rather than attend first day of classes since Covid-19 closure
Bracing for a large turnout at the Legislative Council, police on Tuesday morning blocked some of the main roads near the Legco complex, including Legislative Council Road, and erected additional water-filled barriers to fence it off, with officers only allowing authorised vehicles to enter.
Police sources said 3,000 riot officers would be on standby to deal with any flare-ups and assist lawmakers attempting to enter Legco if roads were occupied by demonstrators.
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Top Hong Kong police officer talks about deploying force at planned Legco protest
Legislators are being asked to gather at a pickup point, where traffic police officers will then transport them to the building in the event roads are blocked.
With security strengthened, calls made online throughout the day for demonstrators to descend on the legislature from 11pm on Tuesday failed to materialise.
