Police Deny Blocking Journalists From Station

The police force has denied a claim by the Hong Kong Journalists Association that it put pressure on the MTR Corporation to bar journalists from the West Kowloon high-speed rail terminus during a protest march on Sunday.

The rail operator has been restricting access to the station for much of the day as tens of thousands of anti-extradition campaigners marched towards it from Salisbury Garden in Tsim Sha Tsui.

Besides staff, the only people allowed in were passengers with valid tickets and suitable identification documents. In addition, tickets for trains from noon until the end of Sunday were taken off sale.

The association had accused the police of ordering the MTR to keep reporters away from the building and expressed regret, as the ban undermined press freedom.

But the force said in a statement that it was the MTR Corporation's decision alone to implement additional security measures, though it did praise the rail operator for taking steps to ensure the safety of station users.