Organisers To Appeal As Police Shorten Rally Route

The Civil Human Rights Front on Friday launched an appeal after police asked the group to end a planned Sunday march in Wan Chai, instead of Central, citing public safety reasons.

The organiser originally planned to hold the demonstration against the extradition bill from Victoria Park in Causeway Bay at 3:30pm to the Court of Final Appeal in Central.

However, in the Letter of No Objection issued by the police, the force decided the final point of the march should be the junction of Luard Road and Johnston Road, near the Southorn Playground. It also demanded that the march end at 9pm rather than midnight.

The front said it will ask the Appeal Board on Public Meetings and Processions to hold a meeting on Saturday and consider granting permission to the original route.

In its letter, the police have said “the risk of public safety and public order would be very high” if the demonstrators are allowed to pass through Admiralty.

“According the information being circulated on the internet, someone is now encouraging others to assemble at Admiralty area and would breach of the peace, carry out violent acts (including assaulting on police officers) as well as storm the Central Government Complex,” it said.

The front’s convener, Jimmy Sham, said he's disappointed with the police request. He said he expected thousands of people to take part in the march, and the arrangement proposed by the police was inappropriate.

The front previously said it wanted to pick the city's top court as the final point as it wants the government to set up an independent inquiry, to be led by a judge, to look into the policing of recent extradition protests. It said it believes only such an inquiry can restore peace and calm in society.