Hong Kong police swiftly shut down Tamar Park gathering as tennis coaches cry foul – ‘The government is living on another planet’
- Players and coaches told to disperse immediately or face being arrested as more than 100 police descend on ‘protest’
- Coaches decry what they say are heavy-handed and inconsistent government Covid-19 policies, with many facing financial ruin
More than 100 police officers converged on Tamar Park on Monday in a massive show of force against an unofficial gathering by Hong Kong’s tennis community.
About 50 players and coaches showed up at the park with their racquets and, adhering to social-distancing rules which limit public gatherings to two people, hit imaginary balls back and forth.
Police warned the gathering via loudspeaker that it risked facing a HK$5,000 fine and then moved through attendees telling them to disperse immediately or face being arrested. Police and park staff also stopped the players from hitting actual tennis balls saying it could be dangerous.
Hong Kong’s tennis courts have been a casualty of the city’s restrictions to curb the coronavirus. They were closed for most of 2020 after the first wave of Covid-19 brought about restrictions, and remain shut in 2021.
“Government experts and policymakers are living on another planet,” he said. “They are all on full salary and come up with the same reply every time, that we all need to be patient and fight this together. We don’t see any developers, landlords, health experts or government officials suffering at all through this.”