Government 'scared Ceremony Will Be Disrupted'

The chairman of the Democratic Party, Wu Chi-wai, says the government's decision to keep uniformed groups and students away from the annual July 1 flag-raising ceremony reflects the administration's fears that protests will overshadow the event.

The government announced the ban on Thursday after anti-extradition protesters began circulating calls online for people to gather in Golden Bauhinia Square on Sunday evening to disrupt the ceremony, which marks the 1997 handover of Hong Kong from British to Chinese rule.

"It reflects that the government is under a situation of non-governance," Wu said of the move. "The government is so scared that, even though you have uniformed youngsters to patrol at the ceremony, they may be afraid of some demonstrations coming from the uniformed units.

"This may be the main reason for them not to have uniformed units to patrol at the ceremony."

Groups opposed to the government's plans to amend extradition laws have held a series of disruptive protests in recent weeks, with targets including the Justice Department, revenue and immigration offices and the police headquarters.

Despite the government's decision to put the extradition bill on hold, they have pressed a series of demands including the full withdrawal of the bill and an independent inquiry into the use of force by police during demonstrations in Admiralty on June 12.