Legco President Defends Decision To Call Police

Legco president and head of the Legco Commission Andrew Leung has defended a decision to call in police during a rowdy debate on the planned joint immigration checkpoint at West Kowloon express rail station on Wednesday.

Five pan-democratic lawmakers were virtually carried out of the chamber after verbal exchanges with Leung, and two security guards and two lawmakers were treated in hospital for injuries.

Police were called in after allegations of interference with a security worker removing lawmakers.

Two security guards and two lawmakers were treated in hospital for injuries, and Leung said the Legco Commission had earlier decided that police would be called in if Legco employees were hurt.

Leung would not say which lawmaker was involved in the scuffle in which the security guards were hurt.

When asked if he could have prevented the chaos by being more tolerant, Leung said members were using a point of order to try to debate his decision.

"This is not allowed under the rules of procedure," Leung said.

"I have written to them (lawmakers) explaining all the details."

The co-location legislation would allow mainland officers to enforce mainland laws at the Express Rail terminus in West Kowloon.

Opponents say this will open the floodgates to allow mainland laws to be enforced elsewhere in Hong Kong in the future. The government has said the only goal is to make the new line convenient for passengers.