Hong Kong Looks Set For Another Defiant Rally

Hong Kong looks to set for another defiant march by protesters on Sunday as the authorities rejected an appeal by an applicant to allow a rally from Chater Garden to the Sun Yat Sen Memorial Park in Sheung Wan, which is close to Beijing's liaison office.

On Saturday, a committee upheld the police decision not to grant permission to march and agreed with the police decision to allow permission only for a gathering at Chater Garden.

The police had offered an alternate route on Friday night, but the organiser Ventus Lau had rejected it.

He appealed against the decision and on Saturday after a four-hour deliberation, the Appeal Board on Public Meetings and Processions said they backed the police conclusion that a march could pose a serious threat to the public safety and order.

The police welcomed the decision and said they would post enough officers to maintain peace at the gathering.

But Lau said he is disappointed at the decision and said he is now worried about the freedom and human rights in Hong Kong. He had wanted the march to protest against the police action in Sheung Wan on last Sunday when police fired tear gas and non-lethal weapons at the protesters.

Lau said he will do everything in his power to ensure the safety of the people who join the Chater Garden gathering on Sunday evening.

On Saturday, thousands of people turned up in Yuen Long and held an impromptu rally despite police denying permission for a march.

Some social media messages have called for people to join march to Sun Yat Sen Memorial Park and some protesters in Yuen Long reportedly shouted "See you in Sheung Wan tomorrow" as they left the village.

Last Sunday, the liaison office was targeted by some protesters for the first time during the current political crisis. Eggs were pelted at the building, paint thrown at the emblem of the People's Republic of China, and graffiti sprayed on the plaque outside.

Authorities had stepped up security around the liaison office on Friday, with large water barriers erected outside the complex in Western.