The tear gas fired on protesters in 2014 — a move widely credited with sparking the Umbrella Movement — was justified, a senior police officer told court yesterday, according to reports.
Not only was “there was no other choice” than to fire the canisters, said Wong Kei-wai, the then assistant district commander for Central, but it was not the reason that people flocked to the protest site in Admiralty, inciting what would turn into almost three months of demonstrations, he claimed.
Wong, who was not at the scene on Sept. 28, 2014 when things kicked off, was giving evidence yesterday at the trial of nine key figures involved in the demonstrations, according to Ming Pao.
Wong told the court yesterday he had no role in the decision making process on the night and watched from home as protesters charged toward the police line and tried to enter the area near the government headquarters.
He rejected the suggestion, advanced by a defense lawyer, that police responded with “excessive force.”
“I believe any police officer would have no other choice but to stop the violence,” he said.
Among those on trial are the “Occupy Central” co-founders — law professor Benny Tai, 54, sociology professor Chan Kin-man, 59, and baptist minister Chu Yiu-ming, 74.
The trio founded the group to push for free election of the city’s chief executive, a post currently filled by a pro-Beijing committee.
Their calls to occupy Hong Kong’s business district to pressure authorities spiralled into massive street protests that became known as the “Umbrella Movement” after police in September, 2014, unleashed tear gas and pepper spray on student demonstrators, who used brollies to shield themselves.
All of the defendants have pleaded not guilty to “public nuisance” charges for their participation in the mass protests.
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