2016 Mong Kok civil unrest: Difference between revisions
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The [[Hong Kong Police]] released a statement released at 3.23 a.m. 9 February, strongly condemned the clashes in Mong Kok, defended its “resolute actions” including the deployment of batons, pepper spray to stop “unlawful violence acts,” and vowed “resolute enforcement actions will be taken against any illegal acts to preserve public order and safeguard public safety.”<ref name="gunshots"/> Another statement released at 6 a.m. said: “Police reiterate that any acts endangering public order and public safety will not be tolerated. The Hong Kong community regard that the public should express their views in a rational and peaceful manner. Police will take enforcement actions decisively on law-breaking behaviours.”<ref name="gunshots"/> |
The [[Hong Kong Police]] called the event a "riot". “Radical elements have come with self-made weapons and shields and clashed with police,” Crusade Yau Siu-kei, deputy Mong Kok district commander said. “The situation ran out of control and became a riot.” The police released a statement released at 3.23 a.m. 9 February, strongly condemned the clashes in Mong Kok, defended its “resolute actions” including the deployment of batons, pepper spray to stop “unlawful violence acts,” and vowed “resolute enforcement actions will be taken against any illegal acts to preserve public order and safeguard public safety.”<ref name="gunshots"/> Another statement released at 6 a.m. said: “Police reiterate that any acts endangering public order and public safety will not be tolerated. The Hong Kong community regard that the public should express their views in a rational and peaceful manner. Police will take enforcement actions decisively on law-breaking behaviours.”<ref name="gunshots"/> |
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==Tuen Mun== |
==Tuen Mun== |
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Revision as of 01:03, 9 February 2016
 | This article documents a current event. Information may change rapidly as the event progresses, and initial news reports may be unreliable. The latest updates to this article may not reflect the most current information. |
| 2016 Mong Kok riot | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date | 8–9 February 2016 | ||
| Location | |||
| Caused by | Food and Environmental Hygiene Department crackdown on hawkers[1] | ||
| Methods | Rioting, vandalism and assault | ||
| Status | Ongoing | ||
| Parties | |||
| |||
| Lead figures | |||
Commissioner Stephen Lo Wai-chung | |||
| Number | |||
| |||
| Casualties and losses | |||
| |||
The 2016 Mong Kok riot is an ongoing civil unrest in Mong Kok, Hong Kong since 8 February 2016 escalated from the government's crackdown on street hawkers. Violent clashes broke out between police and protestors. Batons and pepper spray were used by the police and two warning shots were fired into the air, while protestors threw glass bottles, bricks, flower pots and trash bins toward the police and set fires in the streets.
Minor conflicts with similar causes also took place in Tuen Mun.
Causes
The Chinese New Year holidays have traditionally attracted many hawkers to gather around Sai Yeung Choi Street, Mong Kok, selling Hong Kong street food and other products. The hawkers were constantly under pressure by the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department's (FEHD) city-wide crackdown on street food vendors in the city, which drew discontent from the local people.[1]
Course of event
On 8 February, first day of the new year, Hong Kong Indigenous, a localist political group, called for action protecting the hawkers online. Around 9 p.m. a few hundred gathered and verbally assaulted the FEHD officers.[1]
Around 10 p.m., a taxi driving into Portland Street hit an old man. Protestors blocked the road and prevent the taxi from leaving. The Hong Kong Police arrived and surrounded the car, preventing anyone to get closer. Around midnight, violent clashes broke out between police and protestors. The police put on protective gear, including helmets and shields and used batons and pepper spray on the protestors,[1] while the protestors, some of them equipped with home-made shields, goggles, helmets and gloves, threw glass bottles, bricks, flower pots and trash bins to the police.[4][5]
Around 2 a.m., two warning shots were fired into the air on Argyle Street when pallets and rocks were hurled at a team of traffic police officers.[4] At 2:30 a.m., more police arrived to the scene and disperse the protestors. Some protestors set fire to rubbish bins surrounding Shantung Street and Soy Street, including junctions of Fife Street and Portland Street and of Nathan Road and Nelson Street, which was put out by the police and firemen.[5] Both lanes on Nathan Road were blocked from south of Argyle Street and the Mong Kok MTR station was shut down.[4]
24 protestors were arrested,[3] including Edward Leung Tin-kei, spokesman of the Hong Kong Indigenous and candidate for the New Territories East by-election, 2016 was arrested.[6] One of the members of Youngspiration, another localist group was also arrested.[4] 44 police and reporters were reported injured.[3]
Reactions
The Hong Kong Police called the event a "riot". “Radical elements have come with self-made weapons and shields and clashed with police,” Crusade Yau Siu-kei, deputy Mong Kok district commander said. “The situation ran out of control and became a riot.” The police released a statement released at 3.23 a.m. 9 February, strongly condemned the clashes in Mong Kok, defended its “resolute actions” including the deployment of batons, pepper spray to stop “unlawful violence acts,” and vowed “resolute enforcement actions will be taken against any illegal acts to preserve public order and safeguard public safety.”[4] Another statement released at 6 a.m. said: “Police reiterate that any acts endangering public order and public safety will not be tolerated. The Hong Kong community regard that the public should express their views in a rational and peaceful manner. Police will take enforcement actions decisively on law-breaking behaviours.”[4]
Tuen Mun
There were also minor conflicts caused by the Link REIT officers' crackdown on hawkers gathered outside of the Leung King Plaza in Leung King Estate, Tuen Mun on 8 February night. More than 200 showed up protested against the Link REIT officers' action. Some minor clashes broke out between the officers and the protestors.[7] Two protestors were arrested and one reporter fell down during the clash and was sent to hospital.[8]
See also
References
- ^ a b c d e f g "【A1頭條】本土派號召300人旺角撐小販 警噴椒驅散". Apple Daily. 9 February 2016.
- ^ "【旺角夜市】防暴警出動 本土派籲群眾「自己執生」". Apple Daily. 9 February 2016.
- ^ a b c d "【旺角衝突】警方拘捕24示威者 警員及記者44人傷". Apple Daily. 9 February 2016.
- ^ a b c d e f Lau, Chris; Ng, Joyce; Lee, Danny (9 February 2016). "Gunshots fired as violence flares between Hong Kong police and protestors defending Mong Kok hawkers on first day of Chinese New Year". South China Morning Post.
- ^ a b "【旺角衝突直播中】更新開槍片段: 警員開兩槍全程直擊". Apple Daily. 9 February 2016.
- ^ "【旺角黑夜】本民前梁天琦被捕". HK01.
- ^ "【新春小販】不滿領展「管理員」禁錮良景小販 市民聲援爆衝突". HK01. 8 February 2016.
- ^ "良景邨夜市爆衝突 記者被推倒在地 兩男子被捕". Ming Pao. 9 February 2016.