Several Arrested As Mall Protests Resume

The police subdued and arrested several people in the East Point City mall in Tseung Kwan O on Saturday, as officers warned people inside that they were participating in an illegal assembly.

There had been calls online for people to gather at several malls around the city to chant protest slogans.

Close to 100 protesters were inside the mall in Tseung Kwan O chanting slogans such as "Five demands, not one less" and "Disband the police force".

But the police quickly moved in to disperse them, warning the crowd they risked being prosecuted for breaching the peace.

Officers in plainclothes subdued several people, zip-tying their hands behind their backs and making them sit on the ground.

Police later said on Facebook that eight people had been arrested on suspicion of illegal assembly, assaulting police and obstructing officers.

The demonstration continued, however, and at one point protesters discovered two plainclothes police among them. The officers pulled out their batons and pepper spray when they were confronted.

The pair retreated and joined uniformed colleagues behind a cordon line set up, with officers raising a blue warning flag as the crowd chanted slogans at them.

At Yuen Long's YOHO mall, around 100 people gathered to chant slogans and sing songs.

The mall broadcast a warning that the crowd could be violating a Covid-19 law prohibiting public gatherings of more than eight people.

Dozens of protesters also gathered at Olympian City in Tai Kok Tsui, with police standing by outside the mall and at the nearby MTR station.

Meanwhile, police entered Sha Tin's New Town Plaza and set up cordon lines after arguments broke out between people with different political views.

Some shop staff quickly pulled down shutters as officers raced through the mall at one point.

A tertiary student said she was there to help continue the protest movement, after a demonstrator was jailed for four years this week for rioting.

"He said that Hongkongers need to keep struggling in this movement, so I want everyone in Hong Kong to keep doing what we need to do," she said.

The student said she was prepared to receive a HK$2,000 penalty ticket from the police for breaching the gathering law, saying the ban is just being used as an excuse to crack down on protests.

Activist Ventus Lau was petitioning inside the mall against the management's decision to block off one of its columns which protesters had used to display pro-democracy messages.

He had been warned to stop gathering signatures in the mall or he could be sued. But Lau said the atrium was a public space, and he had the right to be there.

"They also issued warning letters to all our volunteers here. We asked them to explain why we can't do such a petition in a public passage here, but they failed to explain," Lau said.

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