Rally organiser Jimmy Sham says the decision is “heartbreaking”, adding Hong Kong is “becoming more like Beijing”. Photo: Dickson Lee
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https://scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3030947/hong-kong-protests-civil-human-rights-front-loses-appeal Politics
Hong Kong protests: Civil Human Rights Front loses appeal against police ban of National Day march
- Appeal board upholds police decision not to approve October 1 protests on Hong Kong Island, citing violence at previous marches
- Organisers of mass protests say ‘heartbreaking’ decision forces them to call off the events, and urge those who defy ban to stay safe
A police decision to withhold approval for a march and rally on Hong Kong Island for Tuesday, in the mould of the August 18 event pictured, has been upheld on appeal. Photo: Sam Tsang
An appeal board has rejected the Civil Human Rights Front’s bid to hold a demonstration in Hong Kong on National Day, upholding police objections based on the threat to public safety and order.
The organisers of the city’s biggest protests had sought to overturn the force’s refusal to approve a rally and march on Hong Kong Island for Tuesday, which marks the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China.
But giving his ruling on Monday, appeal board head Dr Pang Kin-kee said: “Based on the series of violent events which have happened in past marches, the appeal board has agreed in unison to uphold the police’s objection.”
The board said it had backed the police decision to oppose the rally at Victoria Park in Causeway Bay, and an associated march to Chater Road in Central, due to the “serious threat to public safety and order” posed by the planned events.
The front had no choice but to cancel the October 1 events, the group’s convenor Jimmy Sham Tsz-kit said.
“This is a heartbreaking reality,” Sham said.
“From 1997 to now, in a short time of 20-odd years, Hong Kong has reached a state where we can’t hold demonstrations. We’re becoming more and more like Beijing.”
The decision came after the front’s approved rally at Tamar Park in Admiralty on Saturday night – to commemorate the fifth anniversary of the pro-democracy Occupy protests – was cut short, as police deployed water cannons and fired tear gas after some protesters hurled bricks and other objects at the government complex nearby.
Front member Bonnie Leung said the group understood many members of the public would still take to the streets on Tuesday.
She said that, while the front could not walk with them, it reminded everyone to stay safe and “be water”, repeating the mantra of the movement borrowed from the late martial arts superstar Bruce Lee.
During the hearing, police chief inspector for operations Ku Siu-fai said the objection to the October 1 events was based on the need to ensure public safety and order, preventing radical protesters from hijacking the march and minimising the impact on others.
The proposed march route on Hong Kong Island would pass high-risk sites such as MTR stations, which have been heavily vandalised by protesters in recent weeks, Ku said.
He also highlighted the case of protesters assaulting a man holding a Chinese flag at a rally last Friday.
The front said it would continue to apply for marches and rallies to be held in the future.
It was behind huge demonstrations over the summer, including on June 16 and August 18, which it said drew nearly 2 million and 1.7 million people respectively.
There was more carnage in Hong Kong over the weekend as hard-core protesters rampaged through Causeway Bay, Admiralty and Wan Chai on Sunday. Photo: Sam Tsang
Protesters have vowed to go all out on Tuesday to spoil Beijing’s celebrations, after 17 consecutive weekends of anti-government demonstrations in Hong Kong, sparked by the now-withdrawn extradition bill.
Unmet demands by protesters include establishing a commission of inquiry to investigate police conduct and restarting the city’s stalled political reform process.