Police say they issued 79 one-off fines as part of emergency coronavirus measures (AFP)
Hong Kong:
Riot police deployed to a city in Hong Kong on Tuesday to stamp out rallies marking the first anniversary of an attack on protesters by government supporters that spiked anti-Beijing sentiment.
Officers used pepper spray to disperse small groups of protesters and journalists inside a shopping mall in Yuen Long town, near the border with China.
Hundreds of people were arrested and searched throughout the night, and police say at least five arrests were made as officers used loudspeakers to warn people of an “illegal gathering “.
At one point, a police banner was raised stating that the crowds were breaking a new security law that Beijing had imposed on the city after a man waved his own sign with the popular protest slogan: “Free. Hong Kong. Revolution of our time ”.
Police said they issued 79 one-time fines as part of emergency coronavirus measures banning groups of more than four people. Pro-democracy activists and journalists wearing yellow press jackets were among those given tickets, AFP reporters saw.
The attack inside Yuen Long Station was a pivotal moment in the massive pro-democracy protests over the past year, compounding an already swirling animosity towards the police and heralding a dramatic increase in political violence.
At least 40 people were injured when a group of stick-wielding men attacked protesters returning from a rally in the town.
Videos of the bloody beatings went viral, prompting accusations that the police were too slow to respond and allowed the attackers to assemble and leave without being worried.
The force denies the allegations of collusion and says 37 people were arrested as a result of the attack – some with links to organized crime “triad” gangs.
Seven have been charged so far.
In a statement Tuesday, police said they “understand the public’s concern” and said the investigation was “a high priority.”
Ugly side
More than 9,000 people have been arrested during pro-democracy protests over the past year, and some 1,500 people have been charged.
Local lawmaker Lam Cheuk-ting was one of those beaten in the attack last year.
He was among those fined Tuesday as he tried to organize a small rally outside the station.
“I think the police cannot face their own dark and ugly side in the attack on July 21, so they are preventing us lawmakers from speaking on behalf of the people,” he told reporters on the report. after.
“But all Hong Kongers saw it (the attack) clearly last year,” he added.
Yuen Long is a working-class town located in the New Rural Territories of Hong Kong, on the border with mainland China. It is a stronghold of decidedly pro-Beijing groups, as well as triad gangs.
The attack sparked huge protests from residents and left the community deeply divided.
“I feel helpless,” a restaurant owner who gave only her first name Gigi told AFP on Tuesday.
“Everyone knows what happened that day, and yet the government refuses to face the truth.”
As she spoke, another man shouted that pro-democracy protesters were trying to start a “color revolution” – an accusation frequently made by Beijing.
Anger towards authoritarian China now permeates parts of semi-autonomous Hong Kong.
Last year’s pro-democracy rallies raged for seven consecutive months, as violent clashes between police and protesters became routine.
In response, Beijing last month imposed a sweeping national security law on the city. China says it will restore stability and not hamper freedoms.
But the law has already been used to criminalize some forms of peaceful protest, such as promoting independence or greater autonomy.
Similar national security laws on the mainland are being used to crush criticism from Chinese leaders.
(This story was not edited by GalacticGaming staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
