Hong Kong protests: police to deploy ‘2,000 riot officers’ for planned anti-government rally against Legislative Council elections delay

Organisers hope 50,000 activists will attend unauthorised anti-government rally against postponement to Legco polls and the national security law

Water cannons and armoured vehicles on standby as part of heavy police presence for Sunday’s planned event

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Police on patrol earlier this year in Tsim Sha Tsui, where protesters plan to rally on Sunday. Photo: Sam Tsang

Published: 8:11pm, 5 Sep 2020Updated: 9:39pm, 5 Sep 2020

Hong Kong police plan to deploy 2,000 riot officers across West Kowloon on Sunday, with water cannons and armoured vehicles on standby, in response to online calls for a mass anti-government protest against the delay to city elections, the Post has learned.

The heavy police presence is being drafted as anonymous activists aim to draw 50,000 people to the unauthorised rally in Nathan Road, on the day the Legislative Council polls were due to be held until the government postponed them for a year, citing Covid-19 and the risk to public health.

As well as venting anger over the delay, Sunday’s planned protest targets the Beijing-decreed national security law imposed on the city, which bans acts of secession, subversion, terrorism and collusion with foreign forces, and the potential launch of a new health code system in the city.

A police source said the force expected the protests to pose a “high” security risk and that demonstrators might block roads and vandalise infrastructure.

Police would refuse to give them the chance to cause disruption, so had decided to install a huge disciplinary force on the streets to “prepare for the worst”, the source said.

“We will make decisive arrests as we do not think dispersing protesters by enforcing social-distancing rules will be effective,” the insider said.

“Water cannons and armoured vehicles will be on a standby mode on busy streets. We will also deploy more than 2,000 riot police across different districts, especially along Prince Edward to Tsim Sha Tsui.”