Protesters bring an Airport Express train to halt by throwing objects onto the track on September 1. Photo: Sam Tsang
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https://scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3026134/hong-kong-protests-city-braces-another-weekend-chaos-and Politics
Hong Kong protests: city braces for another weekend of chaos and rail authorities change plans as demonstrators target airport again
- Airport Express trains will travel only from Hong Kong station and bypass Kowloon and Tsing Yi stations, also skipping AsiaWorld Expo
- Airport Authority asks passengers to allow enough time to travel, as protesters change tactics to avoid identification and circumvent injunction
Police stand guard at Hong Kong airport on Saturday. Photo: Sam Tsang
Hong Kong was on Saturday bracing for yet another weekend of protests, with the international airport in the cross hairs for the third time in two months.
As activists planned to besiege the aviation hub, railway operator the MTR Corporation announced trains on the Airport Express rail link would only travel from Hong Kong station to the airport – bypassing Kowloon and Tsing Yi stations, while skipping AsiaWorld Expo – from 9am on Saturday. In-town check-in services at Kowloon would be suspended.
The pre-emptive measures came as protesters made plans to ditch their trademark black T-shirts and gear to better blend in with travellers, and forge boarding passes to get into the airport.
Hong Kong police and the Airport Authority warned against such acts by the anti-government protesters, saying any deliberate obstruction or attempts to use fake boarding passes could have legal consequences.
But both agencies conceded they would find it difficult to identify genuine travellers.
“Don’t dress in black, don’t chant any slogans,” one flier circulated on an online forum read.
“Just bear in mind you’re a normal citizen or traveller. You have nothing to fear from police if you have reasonable cause to be around the airport.”
Lau Wing-kei, deputy police commander for the airport district, admitted it would be very difficult to distinguish protesters with luggage and even fake boarding passes from ordinary travellers.
But he said most passengers should be able to pass through control points by showing valid passports or travel documents, so few would stay behind in the terminal area.
“So anyone who stays outside the terminal building or on public transport without going into the airport will be suspected,” Lau said during a daily press conference, adding that lingering in the area could be a sign of protesters pretending to be passengers.
He warned that airport injunctions against protesters remained effective, and police would first issue a warning before taking any dispersal action.
Heavy congestion is seen on the airport-bound lane on Tsing Ma bridge in Chek Lap Kok as protesters cripple services. Photo: K.Y. Cheng
Anyone found using fake tickets could be charged with forgery and face up to 14 years in prison, he added.
The Airport Authority reminded passengers to allow enough time to travel, adding that one car park at the airport would also be closed. Anyone who wanted to accompany departing passengers or meet arriving ones was advised not to travel to the airport unless absolutely necessary.
The Tung Chung MTR line, which runs parallel to the Airport Express, was scheduled to run a normal service despite vandalism at two stations last Sunday.
Then, anti-government protesters launched what they dubbed a “stress test” campaign, blocking access routes to the airport and forcing travellers to walk hours to nearby downtown areas.
Police arrested six people, aged from 20 to 26, for activities at the airport, for charges including possessing tools for illegal purposes and throwing items at railways endangering passenger safety. Police earlier arrested 12 people at the airport on August 13 and 14.
Anyone found using fake flight tickets to enter the airport could be charged with forgery with up to 14 years of imprisonment, Lau Wing-kei, deputy district commander of the airport district, says. Photo: Dickson Lee
Li Kam-piu, acting senior superintendent of traffic in New Territories South, warned that drivers who intentionally drove slowly on the motorway on Lantau Island would affect the safety of other drivers and could be charged with careless driving or even dangerous driving, which can lead to up to three years in prison and a HK$25,000 fine.
“We have prepared sufficient tow trucks,” Li said. “Once we find cars parked intentionally on the motorway or blocking roads and affecting road safety, police will deal with them.”
He said cars could be hauled away or even detained for further inspection if they were found to be refitted.
According to the Airport Authority, all route “E” buses heading to the airport or AsiaWorld-Expo would terminate in Tung Chung from 10.30am. Buses travelling from the airport or AsiaWorld-Expo to the city centre would run as normal.
From 11am, routes S1 and S64 between the airport and Tung Chung would suspend services, according to LWB, which runs the services.
On Sunday, another demonstration will be held in Chater Garden, then marching to the United States consulate on Garden Road, from 1.30pm to 5.30pm. The rally aims to call for the passage of the Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act, which would allow US authorities to sanction officials who suppress Hongkongers’ human rights.
Police were still communicating with the organiser of the rally, pointing out the application had only been made on Friday at noon.
“[We are still] making risk assessment according to the procedure,” said Kwok Chun-kit, acting assistant district commander of Central district.
About 5,000 people were expected to attend, according to police.
The US consulate said it was aware of the demonstration and would handle it based on standard procedure.