CTU Plans To Appeal Ban On May Day March

The pro-democracy Confederation of Trade Unions (CTU) said on Friday it will appeal against a police decision against Labour Day events planned for May 1 on the grounds of the risk posed by the pandemic.

Police said the CTU had applied for a letter of no objection, planning two public assemblies and a march on Hong Kong Island on May 1, but rejected it on the grounds that the events would increase the infection risk of coronavirus infection for participants and other members of the public.

"Police have grounds to believe that the activities do not only increase the risk of infecting Covid-19 by participants and other people, but also pose serious threat to the lives and health of all citizens, jeopardizing public safety and affecting the rights of others," the police said in a statement.

The police said they banned the events in accordance with the Public Order Ordinance, and warned that anyone who violates the ban could be jailed up to five years.

However, the CTU's chairwoman, Carol Ng, said that while everyone understood that there was a pandemic, the organisers had proposed to take that into consideration.

"We have suggested to the police [that] we can keep social distance and - whenever we want to start our rally - maintain no more than four people on each row," Ng said.

She said she looked forward to taking up the matter on appeal.

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