Banyan Trees Felled After Protesters Told To Leave

Officers from the Lands Department removed two decades-old banyan trees on Bonham Road on Sunday, following a stand-off with activists and politicians. Authorities say the trees are at risk of falling and pose a threat to public safety.

A group of protesters, including Civic Party lawmaker Tanya Chan and Democratic Party lawmaker Ted Hui, gathered at the site in the morning, urging the government to conserve the trees rather than chop them down.

They eventually left around 1pm after officials warned they might be committing criminal offences if they refused to go.

Lands Department officials said one of the trees has a fungal infection and both are at risk of falling on pedestrians.

The head of the government's Tree Management Office, Florence Ko, said officials were forced to remove the trees to protect public safety.

However, a former senior Chinese University biologist said the trees’ health is acceptable.

Professor Chiu Siu-wai said the government should strengthen and conserve the trees to prevent them from falling, instead of removing them.

Several incidents in past years have brought tree safety into the spotlight. In 2014 a woman was killed by a falling tree on Robinson road, and in 2015 two sisters were struck by a falling banyan tree on Bonham Road.