Two restaurants in Hong Kong that have publicly supported the city’s pro-democracy movement were vandalized by two groups of masked men on Saturday evening.
CCTV footage published by the Thai restaurant Water Gate Chicken Rice shows at least two men — wearing hoodies, face masks, and baseball caps — run into restaurant on Kau Yuk Road in Yuen Long just after 10:30pm on Saturday.
In the video they can be seen smashing a computer screen at the cash register with appears to be a hammer, and knocking over chairs and tables while terrified diners run out of the restaurant and try to avoid getting hit.
The restaurant posted an apology on Facebook to all the diners and employees present for the incident, saying that fortunately no one was injured, but that a young child was in the restaurant at the time and was traumatized by what had happened.
The post said the manager of the restaurant’s Yuen Long branch — they have two other outlets in Tai Po and Tsim Sha Tsui — was sad and angry at what had happened, but wouldn’t “bow down to evil forces,” and would continue to support Hongkongers.
The restaurant is known for being a “yellow business,” and has openly supported the long-running anti-government protests by selling protest-themed Christmas cards and pin-on badges.
Meanwhile, in Wan Chai, a group of six or seven men was also caught on camera vandalizing another restaurant that has aligned itself with the pro-democracy movement.
CCTV footage posted online shows the masked men run into the Man Wah restaurant on Heard Street at about 11pm.
There were only two customers in the restaurant when the group of at least six men ran smashed the glass door of the restaurant with hammers and rushed inside (two of the assailants aren’t captured in the footage below) and started smashing tables, chairs, and other items inside before running out seconds later.
The restaurant posted photos and a video of the damage on Saturday night.
The manager of the restaurant, surnamed Lau, told Apple Daily that they were about to close shop at the time and were counting their takings for the day when the group ran in, adding that one of their staff also got injured in the incident.
The newspaper confirmed that a restaurant employee — a 33-year-old man surnamed Wong — was taken to hospital with injuries to his arms and legs.
The restaurant later confirmed that they would be open for business, but that they would be recording orders with pen and paper because their computer was damaged.
On Sunday afternoon, Apple Daily reported that a large number of people had queued up outside the restaurant after hearing about the incident in Saturday night.
One person, who gave her name as “Ah Yi,” told the newspaper that whenever there was a public rally on Hong Kong Island she would often eat at Man Wah.
“I woke up this morning and read the news in the newspaper that it had been vandalized,” she said. “I didn’t know if they would be open for business today, but I thought I’d go over anyway to see.”
Police confirmed to Stand News that they had received reports about the two cases, and that both were being treated as cases of criminal damage and, in the case of the Wan Chai incident, assault occasioning actual bodily harm. No arrests have been made so far.
Read more Hong Kong coverage at Coconuts HK.
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