No Sympathy For Desperation Claim: Govt Side

Pro-establishment lawmakers have condemned Monday night's violence at the Legislative Council building, saying they have no sympathy for the argument that protesters were acting out of desperation.

The camp's convenor Martin Liao angrily rejected questions on whether the protesters were acting out of desperation because the government wasn't listening to them.

"Are you saying desperation is enough to kill people?" he shot back.

New People’s Party chairwoman Regina Ip said no demand or slogan can justify such acts.

"What we saw last night was shocking violence, unprecedented violence and damage to the Legislative Council. No slogan, no demand can justify such violence," she said.

"Totally unacceptable for a civilised society like Hong Kong," Ip said.

DAB chairwoman Starry Lee said violence should not be "glorified", or else it'll be dangerous for Hong Kong. She said the Legco is a symbol for the rule of law, but it's been seriously damaged.

Roundtable lawmaker Michael Tien said the ongoing protests show society has deep-rooted problems.

He said political reforms could not wait any longer. He urged the Chief Executive to organise closed-door meetings with people from all walks of life and listen to their views during the summer break.