'Provide Tear Gas Masks To Elderly Home Residents'

A group of social workers on Friday demanded the government to provide protective face masks to residents of elderly homes, following the frequent use of tear gas by the police in recent protests.

The group, called the Anti-extradition Bill Social Welfare Alliance, said the use of the noxious gas in densely populated areas like Sham Shui Po where there are many elderly homes, has upset them.

They demonstrated outside a social welfare department office in the district to protest, and also asked the department to follow up the arrests of social workers, who they say were providing humanitarian work at protest sites.

Tonica Wong, a member of the group, said they don't necessarily only support what the protesters do.

"We do [try and provide] support people who walk on the streets, like tourists, we guide them where to go, or the general public, because they don't really know tear gas [was fired]," she said.

The Sham Shui Po assistant social welfare officer, Betty Leung, promised to look into their complaints . She said her department had already spoken to the police about the issue.