Security Tightened Further In Admiralty Area

Police have further tightened security in the Admiralty area ahead of a debate on the controversial national anthem bill in Legco by cordoning off an MTR exit closest to the council complex.

Police had thrown up watertight security in Admiralty from early morning with riot police posted across the area and on roads leading to the Legislative Council building.

Access to government offices through a footbridge near Civic Tower was also restricted severely, and only government servants with proper papers were allowed to take that route.

The chairwoman of the Confederation of Trade Unions, Carol Ng, said she had hoped to listen in to the second reading of the national anthem bill, but was stopped on the footbridge.

She was told there are only five seats available in the public gallery for Wednesday’s session, and all had already been taken.

Ng said the Legco secretariat didn’t make any announcement about such an arrangement beforehand.

“According to the police, we need to have prior registration or we need a legislator to come out to bring us inside. I think this is unreasonable as public access to Legco was open previously,” she said.

Ng told RTHK’s Timmy Sung that the overwhelming police presence in the area made it look like Hong Kong has become a “police state”.