Strike Poll Organisers Defiant, Despite Arrests

Some of the organisers of a so-called referendum on whether to hold a general strike over the incoming national security law vowed on Saturday to press ahead with the poll, despite the arrest of three volunteers and an expectation that they will be targeted by authorities.

The three volunteers were arrested on Friday night in Causeway Bay, where crowds had also been gathering to mark the first anniversary of anti-extradition bill protests outside the Legislative Council that descended into violence.

“I think everyone will be a target when we are holding this referendum, but we won’t be afraid and we will hold together,” said Isaac Cheng, spokesperson for the Hong Kong Secondary School Action Platform.

Cheng said he thought their street station in Causeway Bay promoting next week’s "referendum" was a target of police officers.

He called on secondary school students and adults to take part in the poll on June 20, to help decide whether a general strike should be held as a show of opposition to Beijing’s decision to impose the national security legislation on Hong Kong.

“It is unreasonable for the police to restrict the right of the Hong Kong students,” he said.

Cheng drew particular attention to the arrest of one female volunteer, with video of the arrest appearing to show a police officer kneeling on her neck.

He drew a parallel with the Black Lives Matter protests in the United States, which were sparked by the killing of an unarmed black man who was similarly pinned to the ground by a police officer.

District councillor Tiffany Yuen also “strongly condemned” the officer’s actions, calling them unacceptable.

The "referendum" is the brainchild of a coalition of labour and student groups, and has faced strident criticism from both the SAR and central governments.

Authorities in Beijing have accused pro-independence forces of using local children to oppose the national security law. The government here has also condemned the plan, calling the vote “meaningless” and accusing organisers of inciting and misleading pupils.