Govt Excludes Uniformed Groups From July 1 Event

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2019-06-27 HKT 17:37

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  • The government says the move was due to security concerns. Image: Shutterstock

    The government says the move was due to security concerns. Image: Shutterstock

A flag-raising ceremony on July 1 as part of the SAR's handover celebrations has been affected because of fears of violence.

The government has told student and uniformed groups not to attend the annual event at Golden Bauhinia Square.

The Home Affairs Bureau said on Thursday that the decision has been taken as a safety precaution.

The announcement came after calls emerged online for protesters to gather at the site of the ceremony on the previous night to disrupt the flag-raising.

A pro-establishment lawmaker, Lau Kwok-fan of the DAB, supports the move.

"As past experience tells us, the demonstration may last long and bring inconvenience as well as harm to the participants joining the ceremony," he said.

But pro-democracy lawmaker Au Nok-hin said the government is overreacting.

He said schools and uniformed groups should have the autonomy to assess any risks and decide whether they want to attend or not.

“The Home Affairs Bureau should respect the decisions of different organisations, different schools, so that at least they should have a chance to participate in the July 1 ceremony,” he said.

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Last updated: 2019-6-27 HKT 19:09

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