More Legco Chaos As Rival Meetings Begin

Legislative Council discussions on extradition laws again descended into chaos on Saturday, as pan-democrat and pro-establishment lawmakers attempted to hold rival meetings of the bills committee in the same room.

The two sides are, in effect, running parallel versions of the committee. Pan-democrats say that James To was elected chairman at a committee meeting last week, while the pro-establishment camp and the Legco secretariat say that meeting was not legitimate as To had been removed as presiding officer. They say Abraham Shek is now the committee's presiding lawmaker and will oversee the election of the chairman.

At least four lawmakers were reported to have been injured in the scuffles. Neo-Democrat Gary Fan was taken away on a stretcher, the DAB's Ben Chan had his arm bandaged, and his colleague Elizabeth Quat said she was hit in the head and felt "a little dizzy". DAB chairwoman Starry Lee said they were considering making a report to police.

Lawmaker Alice Mak from the pro-Beijing Federation of Trade Unions, who said she was also injured, condemned what she called "violent" behaviour from the pan-democrats.

"I do not know why the pan-dems have to do such thing. They do not [abide by] the rules and procedures and violate the meeting’s order, and cause such violence in the meeting room… I think they are just unreasonable," she said.

But the Labour Party's Fernando Cheung said it was the pro-establishment camp that disrupted the meeting.

"No. We didn’t call for a chaotic scene. We were having a proper meeting until the pro-establishment people came in," he said. "I think we have to resolve this in a civilised manner, instead of stomping in and try to hold their meeting while we are having our meeting."

Pan-democrats had arranged a meeting to begin at 8.30am, while the Legco secretariat scheduled a meeting for 9am.

Some pan-democrats spent the night in the meeting room, and others arrived shortly after 8am. The meeting began with no support from the secretariat.

When pro-establishment camp legislators entered the room about half an hour later, the pan-dems surrounded Shek and legislators from both sides started shouting at each other.

Some pan-democrats tried to snatch a microphone Shek was holding.

Neo-Democrats lawmaker Gary Fan fell and was removed from the meeting room by paramedics on a stretcher.

Pro-establishment lawmakers left the meeting room about half an hour after the chaos broke out, and their rivals continued with their meeting.

Shek entered a waiting room, and pro-democracy lawmakers Chu Hoi-dick and Au Nok-hin protested outside the room, using a loudspeaker to urge Shek to cancel the meeting he is supposed to chair.

The pan-democrats continued to discuss alternatives to the government's extradition proposals, while the pro-establishment camp said the meeting had been adjourned.

Supporters of the rival camps gathered outside Legco to protest.

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