Police Out In Force Amid Calls For Gatherings

Hong Kong police were out in force on Saturday in Mong Kok and Causeway Bay to prevent gatherings to mark the second anniversary of protesters laying siege to Legco to oppose the extradition bill.

Dozens of officers were seen patrolling the two major shopping districts in the afternoon to conduct stop-and-search following online calls for people to gather there in the evening.

A police roadblock was also set up at the Cross Harbour Tunnel in Hung Hom to check vehicles heading to Hong Kong Island.

Police said at about 4pm, several black-clad people blocked roads near the intersection of Fa Yuen Street and Dundas Street in Mong Kok with rubbish bins and barricades, congesting traffic. At about 7pm, they complained of people throwing garbage onto pavements in the same area.

The force warned members of the public not to take part in an unauthorised assembly, saying officers will step up patrol and take resolute action to enforce the law.

At about 10pm, large numbers of police entered the Langham Place mall in Mong Kok after chants and singing were heard inside. People were temporarily banned from entering and at least one person was taken away.

Outside, police were seen carrying out ID checks on large numbers of people, many of them clad in black.

On the eve of the anniversary, two core members of the localist group Student Politicism were arrested on suspicion of promoting an unauthorised assembly and inciting others to join an unlawful assembly.

Wong Yat-chin and Alince were still being detained for enquirers.

The group had original said it planned to set up a street booth in Mong Kok to mark the clashes in Admiralty.

But its spokesman said the event had now been canceled, though its members would still go out in their personal capacity, without elaborating.

He criticsed the arrests, saying they had never mentioned anything about an assembly.

Two years ago, thousands of protesters surrounded Legco and clashed with the police in a bid to stop lawmakers from resuming second reading of the now-scrapped extradition bill.

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