Admiralty Station Closed As Police Issue Warning

The MTR Corporation closed down the Admiralty MTR station and police warned that a clearance operation was imminent on Sunday afternoon after large crowds of anti-government demonstrators took over major roads from Wan Chai to Central, setting multiple fires on the streets and damaging facilities at MTR stations.

A minority of protesters who had been taking part in an unauthorised march from Causeway Bay splintered off to create havoc – some smashing glass windows and other equipment at the Wan Chai and Admiralty stations.

Others tore down a large banner hanging outside of a building celebrating the 70th anniversary of the establishment of the People’s Republic of China, and set it on fire.

In Admiralty, protesters set up makeshift barriers at an exit and smashed up security cameras. RTHK reporters at the scene witnesses some masked and helmeted protesters digging up bricks from the road, while others were seen squirting liquid detergent onto the streets, then using a firehose to spray water at it, in an apparent bid to make the road too slippery to navigate. Several petrol bombs were thrown towards the vicinity of government headquarters at Tamar.

Police issued a statement warning that they will initiate a dispersal operation shortly, noting that radical protesters had set multiple fires in Admiralty and Central, while blocking traffic on major roads.

They warned protesters that they were participating in an unauthorised assembly and urged them to stop their illegal acts immediately.

The MTR Corporation said it decided to suspend all services at Admiralty station to protect the safety of passengers and staff after undertaking a risk assessment.

It said free shuttle buses are being arranged to take affected passengers to Ocean Park and Kennedy Town stations.