The Hong Kong government has condemned a pro-democracy party’s protest at the introduction of a controversial national anthem law yesterday, saying the brief demonstration injured one security guard and damaged some plants.
The demonstration saw members of Demosisto rush up to the flagpoles at the center of a forecourt outside the Central Government Offices (CGO), also known as Civic Square, and hang up a banner that read “The Right Not to Sing Our Praises.” The sign was a reference to the anthem law, which would criminalize any intenti0nal “disrespect” of China’s national anthem.
According to a statement published yesterday evening, the protesters ignored repeated warnings from security personnel at the scene, “resulting in a security guard being injured and damage to some plants.” The statement did not specify the nature of the guard’s injuries, or how they were incurred.
“The Government respects the rights of the public to express their views, but the effective, secure and smooth operation of the CGO should be safeguarded at the same time,” the statement reads.
The statement goes on to add that the flagstaff platform, which doubles as a flower bed and contains a number of shrubs, is not for public meetings or processions, and that the Administration Wing — which oversees administrative matters for the government — has reported the incident to the police, who are looking into the incident.
The controversial national anthem law that was formally introduced to the city’s legislature yesterday would outlaw playing China’s anthem “in a distorted or disrespectful way, with intent to insult,” and altering the anthem’s lyrics and score.
Under the law, offenders could face jail time and fines of up to HK$50,000 (about US$6,300).
Civic Square has been a flashpoint for protests in recent years, most notably the national education protests led by student activist group Scholarism, which was then headed by Joshua Wong. Wong was one of the founding members of Demosisto, and was also present at yesterday’s demonstration.
The square was fenced off completely in 2012, and in 2014, student protesters — led by Wong and other student pro-democracy leaders — stormed the square in a move that triggered the start of the Umbrella Movement protests.
Last year, a retired photographer filed a judicial review saying the government-imposed restrictions on the use of Civic Square were unconstitutional and restricted the rights of free expression and peaceful assembly, which are protected under the Basic Law and the Bill of Rights.
In November, the High Court ruled in his favor, but the authorities announced a month later that they would challenge the ruling.
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