Hong Kong (China Daily) - Five protesters involved in Wednesday’s violent clashes with the police outside the Legislative Council Complex were arrested for rioting or riot-related offenses, Commissioner of Police Stephen Lo Wai-chung revealed on Monday.
Commissioner of Police Stephen Lo Wai-chung also clarified that the HKSAR govt did not categorize the demonstration as a riot, saying the term was only used for a small group of people who had resorted to violence
He also clarified that the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region government did not categorize the demonstration as a riot, saying the term was only used for a small group of people who had resorted to violence.
The police chief made the clarifications at a press conference in response to criticisms against the police handling of clashes which erupted following a mass demonstration against the government’s proposals to amend the SAR’s extradition laws.
During the confrontation, some radical protesters charged at police cordon lines, hurling bricks, metal poles and barricades at officers.
Lo explained the word “riot” used in a government press release issued last week only points to violent acts that were committed during the protest.
He assured that those who were not involved in any violent acts need not worry about being charged with rioting.
The commissioner reiterated that the police respect residents’ freedom of expression and assembly.
Noting that the threshold for prosecuting anyone with rioting is high, Lo explained that the police will have to gather sufficient evidence and seek advice from the Department of Justice before such a charge could be made.
During the clashes on Wednesday, the police had tried to contain the violence and disperse the demonstrators using pepper spray, tear gas, rubber bullets and beanbag guns.
Refuting charges that the police might have used excessive force, Lo reiterated that the measures taken were “appropriate” for officers to enforce the law and deal with the situation. The decision on what kind of weapons should be used was made in accordance with the professional judgments of the police commander at the frontline.
The police, as always, will carry out a comprehensive review of its actions in the incident, he said.
The protest paralyzed traffic around the LegCo Complex and Central Government Offices in Admiralty for more than 24 hours. More than 100 people, including 22 police officers, were injured.
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