Hong Kong police accused of provoking protesters and failing to wear ID during Mong Kok chaos after extradition bill march
- Force facing fresh criticism over handling of protesters after Sunday’s extradition demonstration in Kowloon
- Lawmaker group says officers lost control, but police insist dispersal was necessary for public safety and restoration of order
Hong Kong police came under renewed criticism as officers were accused of failing to display warrant cards and obstructing journalists from performing their duties during Sunday’s chaos in Mong Kok.
A police spokesman said on Monday night that plain-clothes officers must show their warrant cards and explain their identities while exercising their police power and dealing with the public.
Uniformed officers also needed to show their warrant cards except if doing so would affect the operations, harm the safety of the officers, or if the requests were unreasonable, he added.
Critics suspected the lack of visible warrant cards was a deliberate ploy to make it harder for protesters to make complaints against police.
A force spokesman said the purpose of the dispersal was to guarantee public safety and restore order as quickly as possible and to minimise the inconvenience caused to the public due to the road blockage.
“At around 9pm, police set up a cordon line at the junction of Nathan Road and Argyle Street. Despite repeated warnings issued by the police urging protesters to leave, some protesters refused to comply and even acted violently,” the police statement said.