Justice Department Becomes New Protest Target

Several hundred people on Thursday held a demonstration outside Justice Place – where the Department of Justice offices are located – as part of continued agitation against the extradition bill.

Many employees were seen leaving well before their work time ended, signalling the normal work of the department had been affected.

The protesters who chanted slogans and blocked some entrances of the building demanded that Justice Secretary Teresa Cheng come out and meet them. They also wanted the government to drop the now-suspended bill.

"The incidents on June 12 the police have categorised it as a riot. But most of the protesters wouldn't agree with that decision. So we are trying to get her [Cheng] to clarify the wording on the events that happened on that day", said one protester, who didn't divulge his name.

Demosisto leader Joshua Wong and some of his party members were also among the protesters.

Wong said earlier that he had joined the action following a call for the protest on social media.

He said he expects more events like this to be initiated by protest groups as G20 leaders gather in Japan over the weekend.

As the number of protesters increased, some of them spilled onto Lower Albert Road slowing down the traffic. But soon students started directing traffic as police officers stayed away.

Lawmaker Fernando Chueng urged the media to show how the young protesters were facilitating the traffic even as police just stood by watching.

The protest was largely peaceful, apart from when several members of Demosisto suddenly tried to break through a police cordon, leading to a brief stand-off with officers.

Police raised a yellow flag warning the protesters not to charge at their cordon or they'd be arrested. Officers later agreed to move back and allowed the demonstrators to sit down outside another entrance to the complex.

Civil servants seen leaving work early wouldn't speak to reporters.

A spokesman for the Department of Justice said some staff didn't return to Justice Place after lunch due to security concerns, and they were working according to a contingency plan drawn up in advance.

The protesters were demanding the Department of Justice withdraw the extradition bill, not to prosecute protesters, to stop labelling the June 12 protests as a riot, and to set up independent enquiry to probe police action on that day.

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