A prominent pro-democracy activist has filed an official police complaint after he and a friend were allegedly carried into a police van by force and beaten by officers on Saturday, a few hours before the annual July 1 march.
During a press conference on Saturday, League of Social Democrats (LSD) chairperson Avery Ng said that he and some other pro-democracy activists were walking to Golden Bauhinia Square in Wan Chai to hold a demonstration when they were surrounded by a group of people wearing black. They allegedly beat the activists, grabbed and broke papier-mache coffins which LSD was bringing to the demonstration, and robbed them.
Ng said he then asked nearby police for help, who repeatedly assured him they would provide assistance. Instead, he claims they picked him and fellow party member Figo Chan up by all four limbs, handcuffed them without reason, and took them to a police van. Photos taken by a HK01 reporter, which were widely shared on social media, show someone pulling on Ng’s hair and punching him in the face in a police van:
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Ng said police officers placed him on the floor of the van with his legs lifted up, and kicked his testicles twice. The activist claims that one of the officers also yanked him by the hair and smashed his head against the window. “I tried to call for help but no one heard me,” Ng said.
Ng and Chan were later taken to a police station and released shortly. The pair, who went to the hospital for treatment, said they were still in pain during their press conference and showed reporters their bruises and scratches. Following a medical checkup and legal consultation, Ng has officially filed a police complaint about the incident.
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LSD lawmaker “Long Hair” Leung Kwok-hung said in the press conference that the coffins, which have been used by the party as protest props on multiple previous occasions, are a symbol of those who were killed in the Tiananmen Square crackdown on June 4, 1989.
LSD alleged that the people who attacked them were triad members and accused the police of colluding with these gang members, as they said the police stood idly by while the scuffle occurred.
Responding to media inquiries, the Hong Kong Police Force said in an official statement that they are investigating the alleged misconduct. According to the statement, police tried to separate the two clashing groups and decided to move certain protesters away from the scene “for their own safety” and public order. In regards to Ng’s claims that he was arrested without cause, the police say they had to handcuff some protesters as they were “emotional” when being forcefully moved.
Three people have been arrested for attacking the pro-democracy activists.
