Grandma Wong Taken Away As Police Make Arrests

Police on Thursday said they had arrested three people in Causeway Bay on suspicion of misconduct in a public place, as officers swarmed the streets to stamp out any dissent on the 24th anniversary of the handover.

In Mong Kok, three student activists were believed to have been arrested.

In a Facebook post, the force said there were people gathering in Causeway Bay at around 2pm, chanting, displaying flags and protest placards, and attracting the attention of onlookers.

The force said the arrests were made after warnings issued by officers were ignored.

"One man and two women were arrested on suspicion of disorderly conduct in a public place. The male suspect was also arrested after he allegedly failed to produce proof of identification," police said.

Prominent democracy activist Alexandra Wong, who is known as Grandma Wong, was seen waving a British flag in Causeway Bay before she was taken away by officers. It was not clear whether she was one of those arrested.

The force warned that officers were stepping up patrols and intercepting "suspicious" people, to prevent and combat crime.

Meanwhile, the pro-democracy League of Social Democrats set up a street booth near the Times Square shopping mall, under the watchful eye of the police.

The group had wanted to set the booth up in Great George Street, but police had cordoned off the road.

The group Student Politicism said on social media that its convenor Wong Yat-chin, as well as a member and a volunteer had been arrested in Mong Kok as they were trying to man a street booth.

Wong had also been arrested over a street booth in the same area on June 4.

The Confederation of Trade Unions (CTU) managed to set up two booths in Mong Kok to distribute leaflets and let people write down messages. The booths were soon surrounded by officers, who recorded the personal details of those present.

The CTU said with the July 1 march banned this year, it believes the rights of Hongkongers are being eroded and it wanted people to be able to write down their thoughts, despite the "white terror" in society.

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