Hong Kong police tackled a crowd of 100 protesters with pepper spray last night after they gathered to sing and chant pro-democracy slogans in a shopping mall.
The group met at the New Town Plaza mall in Hong Kong’s New Territories, where they sang the protest anthem Glory to Hong Kong and chanted ‘glory to Hong Kong, revolution of our times’.
It came despite social distancing restrictions in the city banning groups of more than four amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Police stopped and searched protesters before using pepper spray to disperse those who had gathered. Officers cordoned off the atrium to stop them returning.
The crowd (pictured) met at the New Town Plaza mall in Hong Kong’s New Territories, where they sang the protest anthem Glory to Hong Kong
The protest was one of several small ones that went ahead on the May 1 Labor Day holiday. Protesters also gathered near Kowloon’s Mong Kok and Kwun Tong subway stations.
Organizers initially planned citywide protests but many were canceled and protesters were urged to eat at pro-democracy restaurants instead.
Friday’s protests were the latest in a string of demonstrations at shopping malls over the past week.
Police stopped and searched protesters before demanding they leave. They used pepper spray to disperse those who had gathered before cordoning off the atrium to stop them returning
The protest was one of several small ones that went ahead on the May 1 Labor Day holiday despite rules that forbid public gatherings of more than four people
They follow the arrest of 15 pro-democracy activists and former lawmakers last Saturday.
The demonstrations are a continuation of a movement that began last June to protest an extradition bill that would have allowed detainees in Hong Kong to be transferred to mainland China.
Although the bill was later withdrawn, the demonstrations continued for months before a lull starting in January as the coronavirus pandemic broke out.
The crowd took out phones and cameras to capture the actions of the riot police inside the shopping mall
Riot police lined up dressed in full protective gear as well as disposable face masks as they tried to disperse the protest
Hong Kong has managed to dodge a major coronavirus outbreak — without resorting to a complete lockdown — by using a combination of targeted isolation and social distancing.
As of March 31, the region had only 715 confirmed cases of COVID-19 — including 94 asymptomatic cases — and four deaths among the population of 7.5 million.
Experts from from Hong Kong found that, following the implementation of public health measures, the epidemic has remained steady rather than increasing.
A member of the press is received medical assistance after riot police has pepper sprayed the crowd
Organizers initially planned citywide gatherings but many were canceled. Police were prepared to tackle pockets of protests
A riot police officer stands next to a clothing brand store inside the shopping mall as protesters chanted and sang
Many countries — including China, the UK, the US and much of western Europe — have been forced to implement tight lockdowns to slow the spread of the disease.
In contrast, Hong Kong employed a mixture of border entry restrictions, the quarantining of known cases and contacts, together with some social distancing.
The researchers argue that these measures — which are less disruptive to the economy than a lockdown — might be similarly employed in other countries.
Hong Kong has managed to dodge a major coronavirus outbreak — without resorting to a complete lockdown
Riot police officers carry out a crowd dispersal operation inside the New Town Plaza shopping mall in Hong Kong
Protesters held up signs calling from Hong Kong Independence. Activists say they are fighting against the erosion of the ‘one country, two systems’ style of governance that guarantees broad freedoms for Hong Kong since its return to Chinese rule in 1997
Police brandished pepper spray guns as they warned protesters to leave the shopping mall
The atrium of the shopping mall was closed and cordoned up after the crowd was successfully dispersed
Police hold up red tape as they clear the crowd inside the New Town Plaza shopping mall
Cleaners stood with a brush and plastic rubbish bag as they watch the protests from outside a clothing store
However, the fact that a variety of approaches were employed together means that it is not clear how much each measure contributed to controlling the spread.
‘By quickly implementing public health measures, Hong Kong has demonstrated that COVID-19 transmission can be effectively contained without resorting to [a] highly disruptive complete lockdown,’ said University of Hong Kong’s Benjamin Cowling.
‘Other governments can learn from the success of Hong Kong,’ he added.
‘If these measures and population responses can be sustained, while avoiding fatigue among the general population, they could substantially lessen the impact of a local COVID-19 epidemic.’
Riot police quickly intercepted the flashmobs, forcing them to disband as either unlawful assemblies or gatherings that breached the anti-virus measures
During brief rallies in malls last week, activists encouraged each other to keep 1.5 metres apart and stick to small groups of four
A protester shouts at the police inside the New Town Plaza shopping mall as others film him
During brief rallies in malls last week, activists encouraged each other to keep 1.5 metres apart and stick to small groups of four.
Riot police quickly intercepted the flashmobs, forcing them to disband as either unlawful assemblies or gatherings that breached the anti-virus measures.
‘I think the government is using the anti-epidemic measures to suppress the people and the mass movement,’ John Li, a 33-year-old finance worker, told AFP during a lunch break protest in a mall on Wednesday.
‘I prefer to join rallies and marches that have received approval from the police, but if such chances are reduced to zero, I will play it by ear,’ he added.
Small businesses are bearing the brunt of the economic downturn in a city where rents are among the highest in the world
A protester uses a megaphone during a protest inside New Town Plaza shopping mall exit during a protest in Hong Kong
Police gathered as they dispersed the crowds from inside the shopping center’s foyer
Those who chose not to join mobs instead queued outside businesses that openly support the democracy movement yesterday, a show of support for ‘yellow’ restaurants and cafes reeling from the twin impact of the coronavirus crisis and months of demonstrations.
Small businesses are bearing the brunt of the economic downturn in a city where rents are among the highest in the world.
Long lines formed at many restaurants and cafes, snaking out onto streets thanks to an online campaign dubbed ‘Hongkonger’s 5.1 Golden Week’ that called on people to visit yellow businesses over the long May Day weekend.
A protester leads the chants using a megaphone as others take photos and film everything that happens
Riot police officers stand in guard outside the New Town Plaza shopping mall to ensure others cannot join the protest
‘This week is a great motivation for us to further strengthen the yellow economic circle. We need to keep resisting even though the crackdown is getting harder and harder,’ said Miki Chan, 25, who works in the education sector.
Activists say they are fighting against the erosion of the ‘one country, two systems’ style of governance that guarantees broad freedoms for Hong Kong since its return to Chinese rule in 1997.
The central government rejects criticism that Beijing is encroaching on the city’s much-cherished freedoms.
A security guard stands at one of the New Town Plaza shopping mall exits to stop others joining the group protesting inside
Many of the flash protests organizers had called for did not materialize on Friday, although riot police patrolled districts in large numbers.
The ‘yellow’ promotion comes at a time when mainland Chinese traditionally flock to the city, providing a boost to retailers. But most are staying at home due to travel restrictions adopted to curb the spread of the coronavirus.
Hong Kong is gradually easing lockdown measures, with some civil servants returning to work from Monday.
A ban on gatherings of more than four people remains in place, but some flout the rules on public holidays and weekends. Restaurants are required to operate at half their capacity and set tables at least 1.5 meters (5 feet) apart.
What is happening in Hong Kong?
Hong Kong protesters are demanding democratic reforms and the complete withdraw of a law bill that would allow criminal suspects to be sent to mainland China to stand trial. Protesters are pictured waving their phones in a demonstration on August 28
Hong Kong has been rocked by a series of anti-government protests for more than five months.
The demonstrations were initially sparked by a proposed law that would allow some criminal suspects to be sent to the mainland China to stand trial.
Hong Kong is ruled under the ‘one country, two system’ policy and has different legal and governing systems to mainland China.
The principle was agreed upon by China and the UK before the former British colony reverted to Chinese rule in 1997.
However, many residents in the semi-autonomous city feel that their freedoms are eroding due to the tight political grip of Beijing.
The extradition bill was suspended indefinitely by the government in June, but the rallies have morphed into a wider pro-democracy movement that calls for government reforms and universal suffrage, among others.
Protesters are also demanding an independent inquiry into what they view as excessive violence from the police during clashes.
Mass rallies, sometimes attended by as many as two million people, have taken place every weekend since June 9.
Protesters have targeted government buildings, Beijing’s representative office in Hong Kong, shopping centres and international airport to express their demands.
The demonstrations often start with a peaceful march or sit-in and end up in violent clashes between activists and police.
A repeated pattern sees activists throwing items such as bricks and petrol bombs at the police and anti-riot officers firing tear gas and rubber bullets to disperse crowds.
More than 5,000 people have been detained so far in connection to the unrest. Among them, nearly 40 per cent are students.
Beijing has described the situation in Hong Kong the ‘worst crisis’ the city has seen since its handover in 1997. It has also called some activists ‘rioters’ and ‘political terrorists’.
The city’s chief executive Carrie Lam on September 4 promised to formally withdraw the extradition bill, but the move failed to ease the chaos.
She is yet to satisfy the protesters’ other demands.
On October 4, Lam invoked colonial-era emergency powers to ban protesters from wearing masks during rallies in a further bid to quell the unrest.
The extradition bill was formally withdrawn by the city’s government on October 23.
What is Hong Kong’s ‘one country, two systems’ arrangement?
‘One country, two systems’ is a constitutional principle under which the Communist Party of China rules Hong Kong, a former British colony.
The city was handed over from the UK to China in 1997 under the arrangement with a promise that it would maintain its own capitalist economy and Western-style institutions for 50 years.
The framework, set to expire in 2047, is designed to allow residents in the Asian financial hub to enjoy freedoms unseen in the mainland, such as freedom of speech and people’s right to protest.
It does not cover foreign affairs or defence policies.
Hong Kong is ruled under the ‘one country, two system’ policy, which lasts for 50 years, and has different legal, financial and governing systems to mainland China
The city, known as a special administrative region in China, has different legal, financial and governing systems to the mainland.
But decades before the law’s deadline, many residents in the semi-autonomous territory already feel that their freedoms are eroding due to the tight political grip of Beijing.
Millions of people in Hong Kong have taken to the streets in pro-democracy protests since June, 2019, to demand for democratic reforms.
Neither the government of Hong Kong or China have made major concessions to the demonstrators, who are calling for governmental reforms, free elections and an independent investigation into alleged police violent against protesters, among others.
The anti-government movement is ongoing.
But decades before the system’s deadline, many residents in the semi-autonomous territory already feel that their freedoms are eroding due to the tight political grip of Beijing. Pictured, protesters carry a Hong Kong colonial-era flag and a flag that reads ‘Hong Kong Independence’ during a rally in Hong Kong on January 12
The ‘one country, two systems’ principle was first proposed by Deng Xiaoping (邓小平), a late Chinese leader, during the negotiations between Beijing and London over Hong Kong’s sovereignty in the 1980s. It was meant to ensure a smooth transition.
An international bilateral announcement, called The Sino-British Joint Declaration, was signed by then British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher and her Chinese counterpart Zhao Ziyang on December 19, 1984.
According to the document, Hong Kong would revert to Chinese rule on July 1, 1997, under the administrative model for half a century.
Macau, a former Portuguese colony which was returned to China in 1999, is also ruled under the arrangement.