#Interview #FirstHand #May2
Police aggression disturbs peaceful night in Mongkok –
Interview with District Councilor Ben Lam Siu-Bun (Mong Kok East)
Q: What happened earlier?
A: Around midnight (May 1), a large group of around 40 riot police disembarked from 3-4 EU police cars at Bank Center, and they set up cordon line at the junction of Shanghai street and Sai Yeung Choi Street South.
Q: What was going on?
A: I didn’t witness the whole incident from beginning to end. There were 10 - 20 civilians wandering around Bank Center, just peacefully going about their night lives. I suspect that the police thought these people might have violated the gathering ban, so they came to drive the people away.
Objectively speaking, yes, the 10-20 people might have been too close together. But to send 40-50 riot police to intimidate them - is that really necessary? They also briefly set up cordon lines, but less than 10 mins later the whole troop went back to their cars and left.
Q: Several riot police were acting quite aggressively, banging on their shields, yelling at civilians and ordering them to leave at once. How would you comment on their behavior?
A: Yes, banging on shields like that in the middle of the night really disturbs the residents in their homes nearby. They were also quite hostile towards reporters and district councilors on the scene. I saw one civilian using an ATM machine by himself, and the police still went over to intimidate him. He was quite startled.
They set up another cordon line on Nathan Road facing Sai Yeung Choi street South, but only for about one minute. This is completely unnecessary; it's a waste of police resources.
Q: Would you bring up these concerns to the Mong Kok police district commander, particularly their disturbing the peace of the community?
Our District Council has been discussing police aggression in meetings almost every month. However the police representatives who attended were not receptive to our suggestions, and sometimes they even left halfway through the meeting. We certainly will continue to bring up these concerns, but I also would not expect the police to change their ways.
#LamSiuBun #PoliceState #HKProtest #YellowEconomy #SingwithU #ShopwithU
Further reading: Riot Police Heavily Deployed in Mongkok
https://t.me/guardiansofhongkong/20104
Police aggression disturbs peaceful night in Mongkok –
Interview with District Councilor Ben Lam Siu-Bun (Mong Kok East)
Q: What happened earlier?
A: Around midnight (May 1), a large group of around 40 riot police disembarked from 3-4 EU police cars at Bank Center, and they set up cordon line at the junction of Shanghai street and Sai Yeung Choi Street South.
Q: What was going on?
A: I didn’t witness the whole incident from beginning to end. There were 10 - 20 civilians wandering around Bank Center, just peacefully going about their night lives. I suspect that the police thought these people might have violated the gathering ban, so they came to drive the people away.
Objectively speaking, yes, the 10-20 people might have been too close together. But to send 40-50 riot police to intimidate them - is that really necessary? They also briefly set up cordon lines, but less than 10 mins later the whole troop went back to their cars and left.
Q: Several riot police were acting quite aggressively, banging on their shields, yelling at civilians and ordering them to leave at once. How would you comment on their behavior?
A: Yes, banging on shields like that in the middle of the night really disturbs the residents in their homes nearby. They were also quite hostile towards reporters and district councilors on the scene. I saw one civilian using an ATM machine by himself, and the police still went over to intimidate him. He was quite startled.
They set up another cordon line on Nathan Road facing Sai Yeung Choi street South, but only for about one minute. This is completely unnecessary; it's a waste of police resources.
Q: Would you bring up these concerns to the Mong Kok police district commander, particularly their disturbing the peace of the community?
Our District Council has been discussing police aggression in meetings almost every month. However the police representatives who attended were not receptive to our suggestions, and sometimes they even left halfway through the meeting. We certainly will continue to bring up these concerns, but I also would not expect the police to change their ways.
#LamSiuBun #PoliceState #HKProtest #YellowEconomy #SingwithU #ShopwithU
Further reading: Riot Police Heavily Deployed in Mongkok
https://t.me/guardiansofhongkong/20104
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#FirstHand #2May
Riot Police Heavily Deployed in Mongkok
0017 | #MongKok
Riot police heavily deployed in Mongkok. Some of them are armed with guns.
#PoliceState #HongKongProtest
Riot Police Heavily Deployed in Mongkok
0017 | #MongKok
Riot police heavily deployed in Mongkok. Some of them are armed with guns.
#PoliceState #HongKongProtest
#PoliticalSuppression #DistrictCouncil
Former Democratic District Councillors Opt to Stay after Resignation and Open Stalls for Wine-Selling, “Want to Slow Down the Collapse of Civil Society”
In July 2021, the HKSAR Government claimed to disqualify democratic district councillors and would ask for a salary return from district councillors after disqualification, leading to the resignation of over half of these councillors. However, resignation does not mean leaving the area permanently. Instead, some of the resigned councillors continue their contribution to society in another way. For example, LAM Siu-Bun's office in Yau Tsim Mong becomes a miscellaneous stall; LEUNG Kwok-Ho's office in Cheung Chau becomes a wine shop; former Kwai Tsing District Councillor WONG Pit-Man returns to the community organisation Tsing Yi Islanders as a convener to organise different events.
The above three did not leave but having different perspectives. LEUNG admitted a struggle between being an “ordinary person” to take care of his family and staying for the community. However, many fellow co-fighters are in prison now, and he said, “I need to be here! With my ability. I don’t want to leave!”. LAM, was the assistant of IP Kin-yuen, strengthened his persistence to stay after the collapse of the HK Professional Teacher’s Union, “I don’t want to see a sudden collapse of civil society!”. WONG thought that she loaded down her identity as a district councillor, “returning” to her past, being a convener of an organisation concerning the community, doing what she should do.
Yet, what they all have in common, is, "Stay in the community even if they are no longer a district councillor".
#disqualify #hongkong #districtcouncil #LamSiuBun #LeungKwokHo #WongPitMan #IpKinYuen #TsingYiIIslander
Source: Stand News; #Aug13
https://bit.ly/3jW793q
#disqualification #DQ #DistrictCouncillor
Former Democratic District Councillors Opt to Stay after Resignation and Open Stalls for Wine-Selling, “Want to Slow Down the Collapse of Civil Society”
In July 2021, the HKSAR Government claimed to disqualify democratic district councillors and would ask for a salary return from district councillors after disqualification, leading to the resignation of over half of these councillors. However, resignation does not mean leaving the area permanently. Instead, some of the resigned councillors continue their contribution to society in another way. For example, LAM Siu-Bun's office in Yau Tsim Mong becomes a miscellaneous stall; LEUNG Kwok-Ho's office in Cheung Chau becomes a wine shop; former Kwai Tsing District Councillor WONG Pit-Man returns to the community organisation Tsing Yi Islanders as a convener to organise different events.
The above three did not leave but having different perspectives. LEUNG admitted a struggle between being an “ordinary person” to take care of his family and staying for the community. However, many fellow co-fighters are in prison now, and he said, “I need to be here! With my ability. I don’t want to leave!”. LAM, was the assistant of IP Kin-yuen, strengthened his persistence to stay after the collapse of the HK Professional Teacher’s Union, “I don’t want to see a sudden collapse of civil society!”. WONG thought that she loaded down her identity as a district councillor, “returning” to her past, being a convener of an organisation concerning the community, doing what she should do.
Yet, what they all have in common, is, "Stay in the community even if they are no longer a district councillor".
#disqualify #hongkong #districtcouncil #LamSiuBun #LeungKwokHo #WongPitMan #IpKinYuen #TsingYiIIslander
Source: Stand News; #Aug13
https://bit.ly/3jW793q
#disqualification #DQ #DistrictCouncillor