Protesters are preparing for the removal of barricades as ordered by a court injunction. Bailiffs are expected to start the operation at 9am today, with 3,000 police officers on standby to assist if necessary, according to the SCMP.
The court injunction applies to Mong Kok’s Argyle Street, between the junction of Tung Choi Street and Portland Street.
Some protesters are clearing up the streets themselves in anticipation of the clear up.
The Court of First Instance also authorised the police to arrest anyone who prevents the bailiffs from performing their duties, with the police warning that anyone obstructing them may be in “criminal contempt of the court”.
The police also noted that some protesters appeared to be preparing to resist the bailiffs, and that some people on the internet were threatening to re-occupy the area or to occupy new areas later.
But the SCMP’s police source said that they did not think that there would be any violence today, and that the police would only intervene if the bailiffs encountered difficulties with the protesters, or if they simply needed more manpower to carry the obstructions away.
It seems like the scene may be similar to when bailiffs cleared barricades from the front of CITIC Tower in Admiralty, with way more journalists than anyone else present.
Photo: Kris Cheng via Twitter
