One Arrested, 60 Names Taken Over Police HQ Siege

Police say they have arrested one person over Wednesday night’s protest outside the force’s headquarters in Wan Chai for allegedly assaulting an officer.

Police say they also took down the ID numbers of 60 protesters in connection with criminal damage.

Thousands of protesters surrounded the complex and some hurled eggs and spray-painted walls and surveillance cameras outside the complex.

Chief superintendent John Tse from the Police Public Relations Branch condemned the protesters' actions.

It's the second time in a week that the police's headquarters were surrounded by anti-extradition protesters over what the demonstrators say was the police’s use of violence during clashes outside Legco on June 12.

Speaking on an RTHK radio programme on Thursday, Tse said protesters this time were swift in causing damage to the building, spraying graffiti on walls and painting over CCTV cameras, blocking the entrances to the building, and shining laser pointers into officers' eyes.

He said services at the police reporting room were suspended, and the response to 19 emergency calls was delayed.

Tse also dismissed reports that an officer had pretended to be a protester charging into the complex.

Tse said the officer was just trying to go to work, but was unfortunately met with some pushing and shoving by a few “violent protesters”.

In response to the withdrawal of officers from two public hospitals amid a dispute between the force and the medical community over the arrest of anti-extradition protesters inside the hospitals, Tse said officers are not trying to avoid their duties and the pull-out is temporary arrangement aimed at avoiding unnecessary friction between officers and medical staff.

He denied it was a revenge move.

Tse said officers stationed at the two hospitals, Queen Elizabeth and Yan Chai, have complained of being treated impolitely over the past week, and have been attacked with verbal insults.

In one case he said a medical worker called an officer "a dog". Tse said the police are trying to meet hospital authorities to resolve the matter.

He said the officers who were supposed to be stationed at the hospital police posts have instead been patrolling other areas of the sites.

Tse also condemned people who put the personal information of around 1,000 officers online, saying more than 130 such cases had been referred to the Privacy Commissioner.

Speaking separately, Chief Secretary Matthew Cheung said the police have been “extremely tolerant in the face of existing challenges”.

He urged protesters to be peaceful and rational when expressing their views, and not to “create problems and inconvenience for other members of the public”.