Police Chief Warns Over Starting Point Of March

The Police Commissioner Stephen Lo has warned organisers of the annual July 1st march against beginning their rally on East Point Road in Causeway Bay, citing safety concerns.

The Civil Human Rights Front had planned to start the march in the prime shopping area after the Leisure and Cultural Services Department earlier rejected its application to use the Victoria Park soccer pitches, allowing instead a pro-Beijing association to hold an event on the site.

Lo said using East Point Road as a starting point could pose safety problems and called on protesters to gather at the lawn of Victoria Park instead.

"Experience tells that in the past 10 or 20 years, the procession always starts in Victoria Park," he said.

"We have ample evidence and experience to prove that in order to ensure public safety and public order, the best rendezvous point is Victoria Park because East Point Road is narrow and there was a lot of vehicles [and] a lot of pedestrians. So it is not a suitable place for a large-scale public order event to commence," Lo added.

The front's Deputy Convenor Au Nok-hin stressed the lawn was not an ideal starting point and they will continue considering other options.