Hundreds gathered at Yuen Long MTR station yesterday voice their anger over the fact that exactly one month after a mob of white-shirted thugs viciously attacked pro-democracy protesters there, none have yet been charged.
The demonstration was mostly calm early on as protesters engaged in a silent occupation of the station, with some covering their eyes in reference to a woman who was shot in the eye with what is believed to have been a police bean bag round. However, as the night wore on, a standoff ensued between protesters and police before protesters finally left the station around midnight.
On July 21, dozens of men, some with links to organized crime, overran Yuen Long MTR, viciously attacking with rods and fists protesters, journalists, and terrified commuters, some of whom were returning home from a major demonstration on Hong Kong Island. The onslaught went on for nearly 40 minutes, during which time police did not intervene.
Their belated response, as well as numerous videos that circulated in the aftermath showing them declining to take action against men who appeared to have taken part in the attacks, prompted widespread accusations of dereliction of duty at best, and outright collusion with criminal elements at worst.
Though authorities have since arrested at least 28 people over the attacks, none have so far been formally charged. Protesters representatives at a press conference yesterday laced into authorities for their purported foot-dragging, comparing the lack of charges in Yuen Long to the dozens of protesters who were charged with “rioting” less than a week after being arrested over unruly protests.
At a press conference yesterday, Senior Superintendent Steve Li, from the police’s organized crime unit, insisted authorities needed more time to bring charges.
“For the Yuen Long incident, we definitely need more time to secure more evidence to make the case have a higher chance to be prosecuted in the courts,” he said, noting that the Justice Department had advised officers to compile stronger evidence.
Minnie Li, a university lecturer who was at the station last night, told RTHK she no longer had faith in Hong Kong’s police.
“It’s one month after the incident and they’ve done nothing about it. I’m so disappointed at them and also have lost my trust in the Hong Kong police,” she said.
“I don’t think they can — or are willing to — protect us.”
Last night, protesters started gathering near Yuen Long MTR, with some forming road blocks at Kau Hui Road, adjacent to the station. According to Ming Pao, riot police warned protesters that they are taking part in unlawful assembly at around 10pm.
About 10 minutes later, police had pushed protesters back to the station, where some protesters sprayed water, soap, and fire extinguishers to stop police from entering. Someone, apparently in a joking mood, even threw rubber ducks on the wet floor.
The police warned protesters not to charge their cordon lines and said they would not go inside the station. Protesters gradually left the station at around midnight after a standoff of more than an hour, RTHK reports.
