By Christine Khamis

Impunity Watch Reporter, Asia

 

Police clashed with protesters in the Mong Kok district in Hong Kong on February 9 during a celebration of the Lunar New Year. The confrontation occurred after police attempted to shut down unlicensed food vendors serving traditional New Year delicacies.

People had gathered in Mong Kok, a shopping and residential district, to celebrate the first day of the Chinese Lunar New Year. Police came in to remove the unlicensed vendors, who have generally been left alone by authorities in years past.

Around 100 protesters threw glass bottles, bricks, and other objects at the police as the confrontation intensified. They also set fires in the streets. Police used batons and pepper spray to break up the crowds of protesters. They then fired two warning shots, an act which is very rare in Hong Kong. The Hong Kong police department later issued a statement saying that protesters had ignored police warnings to disperse from the streets and had begun to shove officers.

As many as 90 police officers were injured during the clash, although reported numbers vary. Four journalists also sustained injuries. 54 people were arrested for charges of assaulting police and resisting arrest, among other crimes.

Hong Kong’s government has condemned the protest. Hong Kong’s Chief Executive, Leung Chun-ying has stated that police are under strict rules regarding the use of force and that they had taken the necessary precautions during the Mong Kok protest. Mr. Leung has also stated that those arrested during the protest will be prosecuted.

Hong Kong Police Commissioner Lo Wai-Chung told the news media that authorities were considering charging the protesters with “taking part in a riot”. The charge was last used in 1967 against those participating in riots supporting China’s Cultural Revolution.

The Mong Kok protest is the most violent protest to occur in Hong Kong since 2014. It is also only one of several protests that has occurred in Hong Kong in recent years. The protests have occurred as Hong Kong citizens grow increasingly concerned about China’s assertions of control over their city and civil liberties.

The protests have contributed to the development of a “localist” movement, which calls for Hong Kong’s total independence from China. Participants of the localist movement protest acts that they view as encroaching on Hong Kong’s culture.

 

For more information, please see:

The Hong Kong Standard – Mong Kok Clashes Mar Start to New Year – 10 February 2016

CNN – Hong Kong Police Fire Warning Shots During Mong Kok Fishball ‘Riot’ – 9 February 2016

Time – Hong Kong Sees Violent Start to Chinese New Year as Protesters Clash With Police – 9 February 2016

The New York Times – Protesters and Police Clash at Lunar New Year Festivities in Hong Kong – 8 February 2016