Hong Kong protests: John Lee doubles down on new rules, says city must perform ‘balancing act’ to ensure safety, national security, protect rights
- Chief executive’s comments follow recent criticism of new measures imposed on demonstrators, particularly at Tseung Kwan O rally
- He did not say if potential Labour Day marches would be subject to same rules, but indicated police chief would assess situation and prioritise order
Hong Kong’s leader has doubled down on new rules imposed on rallies, saying authorities needed to perform a “balancing act” of upholding national security and public order, as well as protecting the rights of march participants.
Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu on Tuesday also said police had to consider the risk of whether such public events could be “hijacked”, pointing to the 2019 anti-government protests.
But the city leader conceded that recent marches, referring to processions held by local churches over the weekend ahead of Easter Sunday, were held in an “orderly, safe and law-abiding manner”.
“The police commissioner has the obligation to ensure public events will not violate public order, public safety, national security and the rights of those participating in the rallies,” he told the press before his weekly meeting with the city’s key decision-making body, the Executive Council.
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Asked if protests planned for Labour Day on May 1 could “return to normal as they were in pre-Covid days”, he said: “The police chief will make decisions based on the nature, number of people joining, time and risk of each activity.”