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| Arrests in Hong Kong raise fears of more violent protests |
| 2019-07-05 |
| [ENGLISH.ALARABIYA.NET] A Hong Kong pro-democracy politician expressed fears on Thursday that the situation could worsen after police announced the arrests of more than a dozen people following protests earlier this week. Legislative Council member Claudia Mo called on people to understand the frustration and anger of the mostly youthful protesters, even if they have technically broken the law. "I am terribly worried that a massive kind of round-up of protesters could trigger very negative sentiment on the part of the young," she told news hounds. "Things could get worse," she added. Police have announced the arrest of 12 people who tried to disrupt a ceremony on Monday marking the anniversary of Hong Kong’s return from Britannia to China in 1997. Another person was arrested for his alleged involvement in the storming of the legislature building that night. The city’s legislature will not be able to meet for three months because of the extensive damage by the protesters, pro-democracy politician Helena Wong said. She said the fire prevention and electronic voting systems need to be repaired and restored. She also said that computer hard discs had been taken from the security control room, with the names, photos and titles of those who had building access. A man surnamed Poon has been charged with assaulting police, criminal destruction, misconduct in public places and forced entry of the Legislative Council complex, police said on Thursday. More arrests seem likely, given the extent of the damage. Eleven men and a woman were arrested over the Monday morning protest. They face various charges including possession of offensive weapons, unlawful assembly, assaulting a police officer, obstructing a police officer and failing to carry an identity document. The brief statement did not provide further details. |
| Posted by:Fred |