Police Condemn Protesters Who Surrounded Police HQ

Police have condemned anti-extradition bill protesters, who surrounded police headquarters on Arsenal Street on Friday and early on Saturday morning.

"The acts of the protesters seriously affected the work of police, including the provision of emergency services to the public," the police said in a statement.

Police said the report room service in Wan Chai had been suspended since around 1.40 pm yesterday. They said 60 calls of the 999 hotline in Wan Chai Division could not be handled immediately and extra resources had to be deployed to follow up.

The protesters took action on Friday after the government failed to meet their demands by a deadline of 5 pm on Thursday.

They want the now-suspended extradition bill to be completely withdrawn, an investigation into the behaviour of the police during the June 12 protest, the government's designation of that protest as a "riot" to be cancelled, and the release without charge of those arrested during the protest.

The police said they had shown the greatest tolerance to those protesting outside the headquarters. But they said the way in which the protesters had expressed their views was illegal, irrational and unreasonable.

"Police will stringently follow up on these illegal activities," the statement said.