2016 Mong Kok civil unrest: Difference between revisions
clarification of the event |
|||
| Line 68: | Line 68: | ||
===Politicians=== |
===Politicians=== |
||
[[Ip Kwok-him]], a [[Beijing-loyalist]] [[Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong]] (DAB) legislator and chairman of panel of Security of the [[Legislative Council of Hong Kong|Legislative Council]], defended the police decision to open fire as “appropriate” given the critical circumstances and believed it was an organised crime.<ref name="CY"/> |
[[Ip Kwok-him]], a [[Beijing-loyalist]] [[Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong]] (DAB) legislator and chairman of panel of Security of the [[Legislative Council of Hong Kong|Legislative Council]], defended the police decision to open fire as “appropriate” given the critical circumstances and believed it was an organised crime.<ref name="CY"/> |
||
[[Yau Tsim Mong District Council]] chairman Chris Ip Ngo-tung, a DAB member, also condemned the violent actions, believed that the people "would not agree such barbarian acts." He thanked police and reporters for their duties during the events.<ref name="dp">{{cite news|title= |
|||
【旺角衝突】民主黨譴責暴力縱火行為 促查警開槍檢討社會矛盾|date=9 January 2016|newspaper=Apple Daily|url=http://hk.apple.nextmedia.com/realtime/news/20160209/54741266}}</ref> |
|||
The [[Democratic Party (Hong Kong)|Democratic Party]], a [[pro-democracy camp|pro-democracy]] party, also released a statement saying that it condemns and does not tolerate any violent and arson actions, sending their regards to the injured. It also demanded a full investigation on the two warning shots and reflections from the government on the deep-rooted causes of the deep social tensions, including people's resentment, loss of prestige of the government and the hawker policy.<ref name="dp"/> |
|||
[[Scholarism]], a student activist group took a leading role in the 2014 protests, condemned police for using excessive force on protestors which intensified people's anger and distrust toward the police since the 2014 protests, including police manners in regard to the beating of protester Ken Tsang and the beating of protesters by superintendent Chu King-wai. It was shocked by the police's deliberately provoking the protestors and being the first who use violence against the people.<ref>{{cite news|title=【旺角衝突】學民思潮斥警激化矛盾 譴責舉槍指嚇棍毆市民|date=9 January 2016|newspaper=Apple Daily|url=http://hk.apple.nextmedia.com/realtime/news/20160209/54741455}}</ref> |
|||
Ray Wong Toi-yeung, convenor of the Hong Kong Indigenous, disagreed with Leung Chung-ying framing the clashes as "riot", stating that protestors were only helping the hawkers to do business until the police rushed into Shangtung Street at midnight. He dismissed the claim that the violent clashes were staged. He thought that throwing bricks are throwing bricks should not be considered as fierce, as compared to other countries. He also believed that firing warning shots as inappropriate.<ref>{{cite news|title=【旺角衝突】黃台仰：掟磚非激烈事前冇準備 焦點應放在警濫權|date=9 January 2016|newspaper=Apple Daily|url=http://hk.apple.nextmedia.com/realtime/news/20160209/54741352}}</ref> |
|||
===Journalists=== |
|||
The Hong Kong News Executives' Association, the Hong Kong Press Photographers Association, and the [[Hong Kong Journalists Association]] all released statements condemning the violent acts and verbal assaults occurred against reporters, as well as blocking the reporters from reporting. The Hong Kong News Executives' Association stated that those actions were serious impediment to freedom of press, destroy the rule of law in Hong Kong, depriving the public right to know.<ref>{{cite news|title=【旺角衝突】記者被磚打中 多個新聞協會強烈讉責|date=9 January 2016|newspaper=Apple Daily|url=http://hk.apple.nextmedia.com/realtime/news/20160209/54741414}}</ref> |
|||
===Social media=== |
===Social media=== |
||
Revision as of 06:24, 9 February 2016
 | It is requested that the page history of 2016 Mong Kok Riot be merged into the history of this page. This action must be performed by an administrator (compare pages).
Consider placing Administrators: Before merging the page histories, read the instructions at Wikipedia:How to fix cut-and-paste moves carefully. An incorrect history merge is very difficult to undo. Also check Wikipedia:Requests for history merge for possible explanation of complex cases. |
 | 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 civil unrest | |||
|---|---|---|---|
 Police on Argyle Street on the morning of 9 February | |||
| Date | 8–9 February 2016 | ||
| Location | |||
| Caused by | Food and Environmental Hygiene Department crackdown on hawkers[1] | ||
| Methods | Rioting, vandalism, arson and assault | ||
| Status | Ongoing | ||
| Parties | |||
| |||
| Lead figures | |||
| Number | |||
| |||
| Casualties and losses | |||
| |||
| 4 reporters injuries[3] | |||
The 2016 Mong Kok civil unrest is an ongoing civil unrest in Mong Kok, Hong Kong since 8 February 2016 escalated from the government's crackdown on street hawkers during the Chinese New Year holidays. 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.
Because of its initial cause, some media outlets and social media platforms have called the riot "Fishball Revolution" (魚蛋革命), in reference to the popular street food.[5]
Minor conflicts with similar causes also took place in Tuen Mun.
Background
Hawkers crackdown
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 locals.[1]
Political context
The civil unrest is the worst since the authorities cleared the last of the pro-democracy demonstrators from the streets in late 2014.[6] The unrest also takes place in the same streets protestors had occupied for months during the demonstration. After the clearance, some pro-democracy protesters continued to assemble in Mong Kok to express their discontent over police by pretending to shop in Mong Kok on several occasions. The relationship between police and the people had hit a new low since the protests, strained by controversies including the beating of protester Ken Tsang and the beating of protesters by superintendent Chu King-wai.[7]
There were also many activist group emerged after the 2014 protests, in which some of them carried a more anti-government and militant agenda. The Hong Kong Indigenous, which was formed in early 2015, had been involved in violent clashes with police in several anti-parallel trading protests.[8]
Course of events
Mong Kok
On 8 February, first day of the traditional Chinese New Year, Hong Kong Indigenous, a localist political group, called for action online for protecting the hawkers. Around 9 p.m. a few hundred gathered and verbally assaulted the FEHD officers.[1]
Around 10 p.m., police intentionally guided vehicles to drive through crowds of protesters, and a taxi driving into Portland Street accidentally hit an old man. Protesters blocked the road and prevented the taxi from leaving. The Hong Kong Police arrived and surrounded the car, warning others not to get closer. Around midnight, violent clashes broke out between police and protestors as police urged to clear the street. The police put on protective gear, including helmets and shields and used batons and pepper spray on the protestors,[1] while some of the protesters equipped with home-made shields, goggles, helmets and gloves, threw glass bottles, bricks, flower pots and trash bins to the police.[3][9]
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.[3] 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.[9] Both lanes on Nathan Road were blocked from south of Argyle Street and the Mong Kok MTR station was shut down.[3]
Protestors gradually dispersed around 8 a.m.. The streets in Mong Kok were calm by 9:00 a.m.. Mong Kok MTR station was reopened at 9:46 a.m..[10]
24 protestors were arrested,[4] including Edward Leung Tin-kei, spokesman of the Hong Kong Indigenous and candidate for the New Territories East by-election, 2016 was arrested.[11] One of the members of Youngspiration, another localist group was also arrested.[3] 48 police and 4 reporters were reported injured.[3]
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 and needed to be mediated by the police.[12] Two protestors were arrested and one reporter fell down during the clash and was sent to hospital.[13]
Reactions
SAR government
The Hong Kong Police referred to the event as a "riot" and the protestors a "mob".[3] “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.” It also said it does not rule out the riot was “organised”, claiming that vehicles were arranged by protesters to transport equipment.[3]
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.”[3] 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.”[3]
The Hong Kong government condemned the "mobs have taken part in a riot in Mong Kok, attacking police officers on duty and media covering the incident at the site" in a statement. It stated that "the mobs would be apprehended and brought to justice."[14]
Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying justified the police firing warning shots, as the rioters attacked policemen who were already injured and lying on the ground. “Any big city facing a similar nature of events would classify it as a riot, not just for the government but society as a whole,” he said. “The police exercised maximum restraint” when compared with other western countries.[15]
Politicians
Ip Kwok-him, a Beijing-loyalist Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong (DAB) legislator and chairman of panel of Security of the Legislative Council, defended the police decision to open fire as “appropriate” given the critical circumstances and believed it was an organised crime.[15]
Yau Tsim Mong District Council chairman Chris Ip Ngo-tung, a DAB member, also condemned the violent actions, believed that the people "would not agree such barbarian acts." He thanked police and reporters for their duties during the events.[16]
The Democratic Party, a pro-democracy party, also released a statement saying that it condemns and does not tolerate any violent and arson actions, sending their regards to the injured. It also demanded a full investigation on the two warning shots and reflections from the government on the deep-rooted causes of the deep social tensions, including people's resentment, loss of prestige of the government and the hawker policy.[16]
Scholarism, a student activist group took a leading role in the 2014 protests, condemned police for using excessive force on protestors which intensified people's anger and distrust toward the police since the 2014 protests, including police manners in regard to the beating of protester Ken Tsang and the beating of protesters by superintendent Chu King-wai. It was shocked by the police's deliberately provoking the protestors and being the first who use violence against the people.[17]
Ray Wong Toi-yeung, convenor of the Hong Kong Indigenous, disagreed with Leung Chung-ying framing the clashes as "riot", stating that protestors were only helping the hawkers to do business until the police rushed into Shangtung Street at midnight. He dismissed the claim that the violent clashes were staged. He thought that throwing bricks are throwing bricks should not be considered as fierce, as compared to other countries. He also believed that firing warning shots as inappropriate.[18]
Journalists
The Hong Kong News Executives' Association, the Hong Kong Press Photographers Association, and the Hong Kong Journalists Association all released statements condemning the violent acts and verbal assaults occurred against reporters, as well as blocking the reporters from reporting. The Hong Kong News Executives' Association stated that those actions were serious impediment to freedom of press, destroy the rule of law in Hong Kong, depriving the public right to know.[19]
Social media
Hong Kong netizens spawned the Twitter with hashtag #fishballrevolution. Some highlighted the protest was about the problems faced by street food hawkers, while the other suggested that violent factions had hijacked the protest for their own means.[20]
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 e f g h i j k l 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】警方拘捕24示威者 警員及記者44人傷". Apple Daily. 9 February 2016.
- ^ VICE News. "'Fishball Revolution' Creates Chaos on Hong Kong Streets During Lunar New Year Fest". VICE News.
- ^ "Hong Kong riot police clash with protesters amid crackdown on street vendors". Reuters. 8 February 2015.
- ^ Cheung, Eric (27 July 2015). "Public trust in police force reaches new low – survey". Hong Kong Free Press.
- ^ "Categories – Law & Order – 33 arrested in Yuen Long protest". Government of Hong Kong. 28 February 2015.
- ^ 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.
- ^ "騷亂過後回復平靜 港鐵旺角站重開". 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.
- ^ "The Government condemns mob activities". Hong Kong Government. 9 February 2016.
- ^ a b Sun, Nikki (9 January 2016). "Hong Kong New Year fireworks will not be cancelled: Chief Executive CY Leung condemns Mong Kok protesters, supports police tactics". South China Morning Post.
- ^ a b "【旺角衝突】民主黨譴責暴力縱火行為 促查警開槍檢討社會矛盾". Apple Daily. 9 January 2016.
- ^ "【旺角衝突】學民思潮斥警激化矛盾 譴責舉槍指嚇棍毆市民". Apple Daily. 9 January 2016.
- ^ "【旺角衝突】黃台仰：掟磚非激烈事前冇準備 焦點應放在警濫權". Apple Daily. 9 January 2016.
- ^ "【旺角衝突】記者被磚打中 多個新聞協會強烈讉責". Apple Daily. 9 January 2016.
- ^ Ma, Laura; Blund, Rachel (9 January 2016). "#Fishballrevolution: Hong Kong's social media users react to violent Mong Kok hawker protest". South China Morning Post.