'North Point Crowd Was Hostile Towards Media'

An RTHK reporter who was set up on by a man during tense moments at North Point on Sunday said the group of men who had gathered there targeted media workers several times.

Damon Pang who sustained injury on his shoulder after being hit by a camera stand said he and a Stand news cameraman Ronson Chan were trying to record a young man dressed in black being attacked a group of around ten men.

"But as we got close one of the men approached us and shouted at Chan asking what he was filming," Pang said. "Next thing I knew, the man had grabbed a pod of Mr Chan's monopod and struck me with it on my shoulder, breaking the skin and leaving a large bruise."

He said the attacker waved the pod at him and Chan a few more times before disappearing into the crowd. Pang said there were no police at that spot then, but there were plenty of officers in the area.

Pang said his colleagues from the RTHK Chinese news side were also targeted by the hostile crowd.

RTHK later issued a statement saying the broadcaster is 'enraged' by the attacks on the two RTHK journalists and condemns all violent behaviour. The station also said it is reserving all rights to possible legal action.

Other journalists at the scene also reported being subject to hostile behaviour. On several occasions, reporters were pushed and jostled by the crowd.