Legco Suspended After Lawmaker Creates A Stink

The Legco debate on the national anthem law was suspended on Thursday, after an opposition lawmaker dropped a foul-smelling object in the chamber.

The Demoratic Party’s Ted Hui, who later said it was a rotting plant, was seen rushing towards Legco president Andrew Leung’s seat with something in his arms, but was intercepted by security staff.

It fell to the floor and Hui gave it a kick, sending it towards the president’s seat before he was marched out of the chamber by security guards.

A bad smell quickly spread through the chamber, and even reached the media who were covering the debate from outside the chamber.

Leung suspended proceedings, which had been stormy from the start.

The second reading of the National Anthem Bill resumed on Thursday morning with pan-democratic lawmakers staging protests against what they say is the illegal election of the DAB's Starry Lee as House Committee chairwoman.

Twenty minutes after proceedings began, security guards carried out lawmaker Chu Hoi-dick, who had been ejected by the Legco president after holding a placard that read, "Starry Lee, Best Chairman".

Speaking outside the chamber, Hui said he wanted to tell the legislature’s pro-establishment camp that the Hong Kong system is rotten.

[Legco president Andrew] Leung Kwan-yin and his abuse of power, by not allowing us to speak at all and not allowing us to put any props on the desk at all… I was angry, and I feel the need to protest against him,” said Hui.

“I used a rotted plant so that [Andrew] Leung Kwan-yin can actually feel and smell what it’s like for a rotted thing. The rotted thing is One Country, Two System, the rotted thing is the Rule of Law, the rotted thing is our civilisation, our Hong Kong values.”

The pro-establishment camp backed the president's decision that only props linked to the topic being debated should be displayed.

DAB lawmaker Elizabeth Quat said Hui may have already violated Legco’s Powers and Privileges Ordinance by disrupting the meeting, and the police should take action.

“It’s a very dangerous act, we don’t know what is the substance of this object but it smells so bad that we have to clear the floor at the moment, and the meeting was adjourned,” she said.

“So I think he may [have] committed a criminal act and I think the secretary of Legco should report [it] to the police.”

The police and firefighters later entered Legco to collect evidence.

The fire services department said it didn't detect any harmful substance in the chamber, but found small traces of carbon monoxide and hydrogen sulfide from the object itself – but it hadn't reached harmful levels.

A deputy district commander of the police, Liauw Ka-kei, said they would conduct a thorough investigation, and would take resolute action if a crime had been committed.

The second reading of the National Anthem Bill resumed on Thursday morning with pan-democratic lawmakers staging protests against what they say is the illegal election of the DAB's Starry Lee as House Committee chairwoman.

Twenty minutes after proceedings began, security guards carried out lawmaker Chu Hoi-dick, who had been ejected by the Legco president after holding a placard that read, "Starry Lee, Best Chairman".

The controversial anthem bill began its second reading on Wednesday.

Police have maintained a heavy presence outside the Legco complex in anticipation of more protests against the bill, which bans people from mocking the national anthem.

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