'Police Failed To Direct Traffic On Protest Route'

Protesters marching on a route approved by the police on Saturday complained that officers had failed to stop vehicles from going past them.

Thousands of protesters who were heading from Anchor Street Playground to Cherry Street Park in Tai Kok Tsui were taken by surprise near Olympic City when several vehicles, including trucks, tried to drive past.

The marchers accused the police of failing to do their jobs properly, as the route had been approved by officers and should have been clear of traffic.

RTHK reporters at the scene said they did not see any officers directing traffic or maintaining order along the protest route.

A Yau Tsim Mong district councillor, Andy Yu from the Civic Party, said the situation was unacceptable and could pose a severe danger to protesters.

The protest organiser, Steve Ng, also expressed anger towards the police’s failure to divert traffic away from the protest route.

He said the officer who was supposed to liaise with him had disappeared midway.

“I suspect police officers were on strike today”, he said, adding he is going to file an official complaint against the police.

Ng added that 120,000 people had taken part in the protest.

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