Organiser vows to push ahead with Yuen Long march after Hong Kong police refuse permission, citing safety concerns

HONG KONG — Hong Kong police have banned a protest march planned for Saturday (July 27) in the northern town of Yuen Long in a rare move fuelled by fears of further violence, sparking accusations of “political” action by the force.

In a letter issued to the march organisers, police said the rejection was to ensure public safety, public order and to protect the rights and freedoms of others.

The decision came after white-clad men, some of whom were suspected to be triad members, attacked MTR passengers and protesters returning from an earlier march in the city centre last Sunday.

The mob’s target seemed to be demonstrators in black, who had marched against the now-suspended extradition bill, but the indiscriminate assaults led to at least 45 people being injured, throwing a wave of anxiety over the rural district. Twelve people were arrested over the incident.

Saturday’s planned march was to condemn the horrifying violence that night, but community leaders and politicians warned of further chaos.

Police said the march’s destination was located next to several villages and they had reason to believe clashes would erupt between the protesters and villagers in light of the recent developments.

Organisers had failed to adjust the route or provide a back-up one and could not prove they were able to ensure safety and order through deploying the sufficient number of marshals as requested. The protest might also significantly affect the rights and freedoms of residents in Yuen Long, which is densely-populated with shops along the roads, police added.

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“In light of the severe conflicts that broke out following the recent rallies or marches … police have reason to believe the actions of the participants of this rally would be out of your control,” the letter read.

Mr Max Chung Kin-ping, one of the march’s organisers, said the ban would spark a larger turnout as people would be angered by the “political move” by police, who made the decision on advice from rural leaders.

Mr Chung added he would still show up. “We will exhaust every means to march.”

The rejection fuelled claims police were “cooperating” with rural powers, Mr Chung said.

After the vicious attacks at the station, the embattled force also came under fire for showing up late to restore order and protect citizens.

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Asked whether he was worried about marchers’ safety, Mr Chung said police should know the march would go on and that officers should act accordingly.

Mr Kenneth Lau Ip-keung, head of the Heung Yee Kuk, said he was glad police had turned down the application. He called for both protesters and villagers to stay calm and asked residents to stay at home if possible to avoid clashes. He also hoped the police force would strength its presence.

Mr Ching Chan-ming, chairman of the Shap Pat Heung Rural Committee, warned protesters not to storm into villages.

“We won’t make trouble, but we won’t walk away from trouble,” he said, warning that many villagers had agricultural tools at home.

“If they are provoked, villagers will protect their homes.”

Before the police announcement, leading developer Sun Hung Kai Properties had planned to step up safety measures in its malls near the railway station this weekend, while 13 members of the Yuen Long District Council issued a joint statement calling on villagers of Nam Pin Wai — said to be home to some attackers — and protesters to exercise self-restraint.

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While rare, it was not the first time police had rejected an application for a rally.

In 2014, an application to hold a public meeting at Tim Mei Avenue on September 28 was turned down. Some 87 canisters of tear gas were fired that day to disperse crowds still gathered at the site, and the chaos eventually triggered the 79-day pro-democracy Occupy movement.

The ongoing political crisis over the extradition bill has rocked the city for weeks as protesters and police clashed in running battles, spawning a worrying pattern of violence after peaceful marches.

The legislation would have allowed the transfer of fugitives to jurisdictions with which the city has no extradition deal, including mainland China.

Some staff of rail operator, the MTR Corporation, were concerned about the safety of passengers and staff in the event of the march taking place on Saturday.

Hong Kong Railway Employees Union chairman Tam Kin-chiu said a staff group had written to senior management to call for a coordinated arrangement in advance on manpower provisions and when to stop services to avoid conflicts with passengers like those that occurred on the night of violence in Yuen Long last Sunday.

Passengers and protesters denounced a train driver for forcing them to leave their carriages when they were attacked by mobs.

“We want to ensure the safety of passengers and our colleagues because the light-rail tracks share the streets with cars and passers-by,” Mr Tam said, adding that the union counts 3,000 drivers of the MTR Corp’s light rail trains and feeder buses among its members.

Yuen Long is served by two types of rail, the tram-like light rail, which connects the district with Tuen Mun and Tin Shui Wai. The other is the West Rail line, a mass transit overground service that runs between Hung Hom and Tuen Mun. SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST