Court Rejects TVB Bid For Injunction Against Attacks

The High Court refused on Friday to grant an interim injunction to prevent people from attacking TVB’s journalists and property.

Hong Kong's largest private-sector broadcaster made the application on Monday, saying the injunction was needed because it had been targeted since the start of the protest movement.

It said its journalists had been harassed and its cameras and vehicles damaged.

But the judge said similar incidents had stopped happening over the past month.

Judge Mimmie Chan pointed out that TVB had covered up the logos on its cameras and vehicles when covering recent protests. She said its reporters do not reveal their identity at protest sites.

She said the injunction, if granted, would be difficult to execute. For example, she said TVB may have to display the injunction and its staff would have to make sure others knew who they were when covering anti-government protests.

The judge also said the court could not issue an injunction order just because the plaintiffs said they were scared.

She added that previous attacks on TVB staff were just isolated incidents and pointed out that some protesters had already apologised.

TVB has become a target of protesters who accuse it of pro-Beijing bias in its news coverage.