Civil Human Rights Front leader Jimmy Sham is now in a stable condition after being attacked by masked men in Kowloon last night.
Sham was rushed to Kwong Wah Hospital after being set upon by at least four men wielding hammers. He was on his way to a CHRF annual general meeting at the Fuk Keung Industrial Building on Arran Lane in Tai Kok Tsui at about 7:30pm when the attack happened.
Graphic Content Alert. Video of CHRF’s Jimmy Sham after attack. A police officer squats over him as people surround. Sham raises arm. The bloody scene makes one think how easily he could have been killed. The attackers are at large. This is #HongKong. #HongKongProtests pic.twitter.com/L9l6iOmYoj
— Ramy Inocencio 英若明 (@RamyInocencio) October 16, 2019
CHRF’s co-convenor, Figo Chan, told reporters outside the hospital last night that the attackers also waved knives at people who tried to intervene before they got into a car and fled.
Chan also told reporters that as Sham was carried into the ambulance, he led a chant of “Five key demands, not one less.” As he arrived at the hospital, he was greeted by supporters telling him to “hang in there,” including pro-democracy lawmaker Tanya Chan, who filmed short video of him entering the hospital as onlookers yelled, “Jimmy, add oil!”
In the early hours of this morning, Sham wrote on his Facebook page that he had received stitches for his wounds, and thanked medical staff at Kwong Wah Hospital for their care.
He noted that he was still in pain, but said other protesters had suffered more, and added that he was heartened by the show of support.
Figo Chan also posted to Facebook that Sham suffered no broken bones or brain injuries, and urged members of the public not to visit Sham so as to not inconvenience hospital staff.
Speaking to reporters last night, Chief Inspector Ng Tak-nam from the Mong Kok police district’s crime unit said that the attackers were masked, and wearing black tops and trousers, and that Sham was found with a three-centimeter wound to his forehead.
The attack lasted about 10 seconds, and the assailants jumped into a black car and drove towards Sham Shui Po.
Ng said police believe the attack was planned in advance, as witnesses say they had seen the car driving around the area for a while. Authorities are also looking into the possibility that the case is linked to a previous attack on Sham in August.
News of the attack came about hours after the CHRF announced that they would be holding a rally in Tsim Sha Tsui on Sunday afternoon in response to Carrie Lam’s policy address.
CHRF criticized the address for failing to respond to protesters’ five core demands, adding it was “highly unrealistic for her to quell public grievances towards police brutality by only pushing out minor repairs to society.”
CHRF is the organization behind many peaceful rallies that have drawn hundreds of thousands of people to the streets in the last few months.
Ming Pao reported that Sham had also recently declared he would be running for a seat on the Sha Tin district council.
Speaking to reporters at the Legislative Council this morning, lawmaker Kenneth Leung said at least seven pro-democracy activists and district council candidates have been attacked since July.
These people include district council candidate Jocelyn Chau, who was attacked while canvassing in North Point; district council candidate Leung Hoi-ching, who was similarly attacked while canvassing in Kwun Tong hours after declaring her run; and pro-democracy lawmaker Roy Kwong, who was dragged out of his car by three men and kicked as he lay on the ground while one of the assailants filmed the attack.
