Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam on Friday condemned a “barbaric attack” on Justice Secretary Teresa Cheng, who fell while being surrounded by a crowd of jeering pro-democracy protesters in London.
It was the most physical confrontation involving a member of Lam’s cabinet since the protests erupted months ago.
Teresa Cheng, Hong Kong’s deeply unpopular secretary for justice, was confronted by around a dozen masked demonstrators as she prepared to attend a speaking event on Thursday night in London.
They shone flashlights on her while calling her a “murderer” and shouting slogans of the Hong Kong pro-democracy protest movement.
Video of the incident showed Cheng falling to the floor during the melee — although it was not immediately clear if she was pushed by protesters.
She regained her feet moments later and was escorted away with no visible signs of injury.
[BREAKING] Secretary for Justice of the HKSAR Theresa Cheng is attending a event to give a speech but fell on the floor during a protest against her and her government in London#HongKong #HongKongProstest #HongKongProtester #FreedomHK #DemocracyforHongKong pic.twitter.com/L5XYgXNsgX
— Chloe Leung (@chloeleungys) November 14, 2019
Chief Executive Lam, however, said in a statement that Cheng suffered “serious bodily harm” during the altercation.
Cheng, whose department is in charge of prosecuting protesters who have filled city streets for months, is the first senior Hong Kong official to be injured in scuffles since the unrest began in June.
Lam called on police in Britain — Hong Kong’s former colonial ruler — to investigate, describing the incident as an “attack” which “was barbaric and violated the principles of a civilised society.”
Cheng is in London on a visit to promote Hong Kong’s role as a dispute resolution and deal-making hub.
She is one of the most unpopular government officials in Hong Kong, seen as playing a key role in pushing forward the now-shelved extradition bill, which first sparked the ongoing unrest.
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