The owner of a “yellow restaurant” in Yuen Long, together with his wife and son, was attacked after closing shop on Sunday night.
According to Apple Daily, the family had gotten into their car and was getting ready to go home at around 11pm. When the owner tried to close his car door, it was forcibly yanked open.
“I tried my best to defend [myself], then they dragged me out of the car. [Three men] continued to attack me. My wife and son got out of the car and while calling on [them them to stop], they got attacked too,” the owner, surnamed Lai, told Apple Daily.
The family owns Jade Restaurant, a self-proclaimed “yellow shop”—a term used to describe businesses that support the anti-government movement. The restaurant is decorated with protest-related posters and the “LIHKG pig,” the mascot of the popular forum used by demonstrators.
On January 1, it even arranged a bus to take protesters to Causeway Bay to join a New Year’s Day march.
Since the protests began last year, some demonstrators have pledged to only patronize “yellow shops” and shun “blue shops,” which are perceived to be pro-government.
Read more: Hong Kong marks start of 2020 with tear gas and water cannon as thousands turn out for rally
Yuen Long district councillor Tommy Cheung said that Lai’s face and neck were scratched, and his wife’s right eye, elbow and arm were injured.
https://www.facebook.com/TommyCheung0416/photos/a.514313005279071/3298343773542633/?type=3&theater
The three men, and a woman who was part of their crew, fled the scene by taxi.
The police has classified the incident as a case of “assault occasioning actual bodily harm” and investigations are underway. No arrests have been made at the moment, authorities said.
Lai said he suspects that the assault might be related to political views. He also said that the store had been harassed recently—a few days ago, somebody stuck a poster illegitimately accusing the restaurant of “owing debts,” according to HK01.
“Yellow shops,” especially those who have shown outright support for protesters, have been the target of a number of attacks perceivably for their political stance. Lung Mun Cafe, a local-style restaurant, was vandalized last October after handing out free meals to demonstrators.
