Shouting matches ensued as pro-Beijing group Justice Alliance and pro-localism group Civic Passion faced off during protests supporting and opposing the police force on Saturday.
Outspoken pro-Beijing activist Leticia Lee See-yin led the Justice Alliance to organise a pro-police protest at Chater Garden in Central on Saturday. About 100 people attended the protest, according to media reports. Lee was seen dancing and playing the role of a “school girl” during a mock stage drama parodying last year’s pro-democracy Occupy protests.
Lee said the demonstration was to remind people of the police’s “hard work” during the Occupy protests in 2014, according to Wenweipo. She told the pro-Beijing newspaper that alleged police abuse cases, including superintendent Chu King-wai’s alleged assault on pedestrians and the Ken Tsang case, were only “individual incidents” and did not represent the overall performance of the police force.
Priscilla Leung Mei-fun, a lawyer and legislator from the pro-Beijing party, the Business and Professionals Alliance for Hong Kong, was also seen speaking on stage during the rally.
The group was later seen marching to the police headquarters in Wan Chai, where they shouted slogans including “Love Hong Kong, support our police force.”
At the same time, localist group Civic Passion staged a protest on the other side of Chater Garden, accusing the police force of abusing its power. Police separated both groups with barricades, but shouting matches erupted as protesters vented their emotions.
Civic Passion, led by localist figure Wong Yeung-tat, tore the flag of the Communist Party of China during the protests.
The police force has drawn criticism recently following a number of alleged abuse cases during last year’s Occupy protests. In July, a study by the Chinese University of Hong Kong revealed that local people’s trust in the police force has fallen to a “new low”.
During the pro-police demonstration, a protester allegedly damaged a reporter’s camera by “kissing” the lens, after he persistently filmed her.
The journalist later reported the case to the police.
