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We provide translation of news in English from local media and other sources, for academic use.
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#FirstHand #Jun30
Hong Kong Authorities Seal Off Wanchai North to 'welcome' Xi Jinping


Since June 29, 2022, Hong Kong police sealed off a large area completely including car ways and pavements in Wanchai North, to prepare for the arrival of the Chinese Communist Party (#CCP) leader #XiJinPing. From the midnight of June 30, the Exhibition and Convention Center station will also be closed.

On July 1, Xi will be present at the Exhibition and Convention Center to observe the ceremony celebrating the establishment day of the Hong Kong SAR and the officiation of the new Chief Executive.

On the eve of July 1, Hong Kong police sent in the anti-terrorism squad to patrol the area in their new uniform. Police dogs were also deployed. Reporters on the flyover were stopped and searched for 4 times.

During Xi's visit to Hong Kong, the metro will not stop at the
Exhibition and Convention Center station until 2pm on July 1. Buses will also be rerouted.

It was reported that some pro-democracy groups like the League of Social Democrats were warned by the authorities of the consequence of carrying out protests on the day.

#PoliceState #FailedState #Authoritarianism #Suppression #Handover
Flowers Offered to #LeungKinFai on anniversary of Knife Attack; Offering May Violate National Security Law, Police Warned

source: In-Media HK #FirstHand #Jul01

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Flowers Offered to #LeungKinFai on anniversary of Knife Attack; Offering May Violate National Security Law, Police Warned

On July 1 one year ago, local man Leung Kin-fai stabbed a police officer with a knife outside in Causeway Bay, then took his own life. The attack, which took place on the first anniversary of the #NationalSecurityLaw, was labeled as a "lone wolf-style localist terror attack" by Secretary of Security Chris Tang, who added that the authorities will prosecute any actions that incite and glorify violence.

On July 1 this year, police deployed nearly 20 officers in armored vests to guard the scene of the attack. After finding a small bouquet of white flowers on the ground, the nearby officers quickly went on high alert, cordoning off the area and detaining a nearby young man in black. The man was searched and released after about 10 minutes, and the bouquet was taken away.

The young man told reporters that the flowers were not his; he told the officers that they could verify it by CCTV. One of the officers told him that he could offer flowers on normal days, but that day was a "special day", and the National Security police will follow up on the person making the flower offering.

The act of offering flowers may be a violation of the national security law, the officer said.

Nevertheless, other citizens also laid flowers at the scene despite increased police presence. Their flowers were also quickly cleared away by plainclothes officers.

source: In-Media HK #FirstHand #Jul01

https://bit.ly/3ntDDEk

see also: Mourning activities and police response the day after the attack

Police Cordon Off Sogo Department Store to Prevent Hongkongers from Mourning Fellow Citizen
https://t.me/guardiansofhongkong/30367

Defiant #Hongkongers continue to show respect despite tightened police grip
https://t.me/guardiansofhongkong/30396

Police disrespectfully take away flowers for Deceased Civilian from the altar
https://t.me/guardiansofhongkong/30395

#LeungKinFai #Remembrance #PoliceState
Police Took Down Identities of Journalists who Reported on Mourning for #LeungKinFai

source: #FirstHand #Jul01

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Police Took Down Identities of Journalists who Reported on Mourning for #LeungKinFai

A typhoon 8 warning was declared around 7pm on July 1. Large number of police vehicles and officers had been deployed to the Sogo department store in Causeway Bay, the site of Leung Kin-Fai's knife attack on a policce officer last year. The store itself had closed its doors by 7:30 due to the approaching typhoon.

Around 8:30, a large group of officers suddenly rushed at nearby journalists and surrounded them with cordons. The journalists were warned to stop taking photos and stop all live videos. Even journalists posted across the street were not spared; all who had been reporting and photographing the scene of mourning will be detained and had their identity taken down, an officer said. Any who did not cooperate would be considered to be "obstructing police", he added.

Earlier, a wheelchair-bound citizen who passed by was stopped and searched by more than 10 officers. Police extended their cordon to include the crosswalk outside Sogo.

source: #FirstHand #Jul01

see also:
Flowers Offered to #LeungKinFai on anniversary of Knife Attack; Offering May Violate National Security Law, Police Warned

https://t.me/guardiansofhongkong/32960

#PoliceState #PressFreedom
#Hongkongers Say Farewell to Local Pro-Democracy Clothing Store #Chickeeduck

The last store of #Chickeeduck in Kowloon Tong, Hong Kong, was shut down on July 10, 2022. Many Hongkongers paid visit to the store and showed appreciation for the owner #ChowSiuLung, as he had been vocal in support of the city's pro-democracy movement.

Chow displayed the miniature of the Goddess of Liberty in his stores. When he opened his store in Tsuen Wan last year, national security police raided his store but arrested no one. In November 2021, Chow announced the closure of his business in Hong Kong, as his factories were harassed and business partners were slandered due to Chow's pro-democracy stance.

On July 11, 2022, customers visiting the store mentioned how Chickeeduck, a local children's clothing store, was their childhood memories. Some talked about the products' excellent quality and the fond memory of the owner, even during random encounters.

Images: #FirstHand
Text: InMediaHK.net #Jul10

#Chickeeduck #ChowSiuLung

https://bit.ly/3ap51R8
#Hongkongers Say Farewell to Local Pro-Democracy Clothing Store #Chickeeduck

Images: #FirstHand
Text: InMediaHK.net #Jul10

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#Hongkongers Say Farewell to Local Pro-Democracy Clothing Store #Chickeeduck

The last store of #Chickeeduck in Kowloon Tong, Hong Kong, was shut down on July 10, 2022. Many Hongkongers paid visit to the store and showed appreciation for the owner #ChowSiuLung, as he had been vocal in support of the city's pro-democracy movement.

Chow displayed the miniature of the Goddess of Liberty in his stores. When he opened his store in Tsuen Wan last year, national security police raided his store but arrested no one. In November 2021, Chow announced the closure of his business in Hong Kong, as his factories were harassed and business partners were slandered due to Chow's pro-democracy stance.

On July 11, 2022, customers visiting the store mentioned how Chickeeduck, a local children's clothing store, was their childhood memories. Some talked about the products' excellent quality and the fond memory of the owner, even during random encounters.

Images: #FirstHand
Text: InMediaHK.net #Jul10

#Chickeeduck #ChowSiuLung

https://bit.ly/3ap51R8
Hongkongers' Book Fair Cancelled, but Presses On with Online Store: "We'd Rather Be Naive than Give Up"

Source: #FirstHand #Jul13

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Hongkongers' Book Fair Cancelled, but Presses On with Online Store: "We'd Rather Be Naive than Give Up"

The annual Hong Kong Book Fair is set to take place in late July this year. However, many books that had political undertones or highlighted local culture had been banned from the book fair by local the government's Trade Development Council, who refused to explain the ban or give a list of exhibitors that they have turned away.

In light of this, local publisher Hillway Culture partnered with other like-minded exhibitors to organize the first-ever "Hongkongers' Book Fair," set to take place on July 14 in Causeway Bay.

The day before the fair was set to take place, however, the organizers received a notice from the venue owner saying that the book fair may be in breach of the fair's lease agreement, and they may need to terminate the lease, explained Hillway Culture's spokesperson Raymond Yeung during a press conference on the same afternoon.

Yeung explained in tears that he had expected all kinds of unexpected complaints against the book fair, including fire ordinances, anti-pandemic ordinances, or even the #NationalSecurityLaw. They had expressed willingness to fully cooperate with the venue owners, only so that #Hongkongers can have a book fair that belonged to themselves.

A journalist at the press conference mentioned that the pro-Beijing group "Politihk Social Strategic" had called on citizens to visit the book fair and "inspect the books for law violations". Plain-clothes officers were also said to have visited the venue, and inquired about the fair at the mall's management office.

By 9pm, the organizers announced that the venue owner had terminated the lease. The owner claimed that the book fair violated the venue's usage agreement by "sub-letting" booths to exhibitors - despite the venue having been previously used to host bazaars in a similar setup. The owner had even provided photos and promoted contractors who had previously provided booth setup works. Though the fair organizers expressed that they were willing to make any adjustments necessary, the owners insisted on terminating the contract, forcing the event to be cancelled.

News of the sudden shutdown was met with quick responses from Hongkongers who looked forward to the book fair. Many commenters pledged not to refund their VIP tickets and to visit the participating bookstores. In a subsequent Facebook post, the organizers thanked Hongkongers for their "encouragements, comfort, affirmations, and suggestions. This is an unexpected gift that came after such terrible news."

The organizers have continued on with the online version of the book fair, letting Hongkongers everywhere participate despite the lack of a physical venue. They had also secured a distributor in Manchester to ship out orders made in the UK.

Borrowing a quote from the participating Boundary Bookstore, the organizers wrote: "You can mock our naivete for staying behind, but we'd rather be naive than give up."

Source: #FirstHand #Jul13

Hongkongers' Book Fair Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/hkersbookfair/

#HKersBookFair #Suppression #Culture #BookBanning
Hongkongers Pay Tribute to Late Queen Elizabeth II at British Consulate

Hong Kong woke up to the news of Queen Elizabeth II's death this morning, bringing an end to her long reign of over 70 years.  The British monarch had visited Hong Kong in 1975 and 1986, and residents in this former British colony feel close ties to her even to this day.

Since early morning, citizens have begun bringing flowers to the British Consulate in Admiralty to pay tribute to the Queen.  Though many of them might not know the words to God Save the Queen - it was generally not taught in schools in British Hong Kong - the outpouring of tribute shows the reverence in their hearts for the former Queen of Hong Kong.

The British Consulate had added additional opening hours to allow Hongkongers to pay respects:

9 Sep 1200 to 1700
12 - 16 Sep 1000 to 1600

source: #FirstHand

#RIP #QueenElizabethII
#FirstHand #Sept7
Police arrests Hong Kong Journalists Association's Chair

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#FirstHand #Sept7
Police Arrests Hong Kong Journalists Association's Chair

On September 7, 2022, veteran journalist and chairman of Hong Kong Journalists Association (#HKJA) #RonsonChan was arrested in Hong Kong for "obstructing police officers and disorder in public place".

It was reported that Chan and a photographer were on their way to a press briefing in Mong Kok, where they were intercepted by two plainclothes police officers for no apparent reason.

As Chan asked the officers for
police ID, they refused and accused Chan of being not cooperative. Within minutes, he was warned for multiple times and arrested.

Before mid-night, Chan was released on bail after being held at the Mong Kok police station for about 11 hours.

In an interview with local press, Chan told reporters that one of the police officers scoffed at him, "HKJA is trash". Later, he also taunted that "when will you die?"

Chan recited that his wrist was being forcefully held together, leaving a visible bruise mark.

Source: #FirstHand #Sept7

#PoliceState #Journalism #PressFreedom
#Remembrance #RIP #QueenElizabethII
Buckingham Palace Surrounded by Flowers and Mourning Crowds

On September 9, citizens came from across Britain to London's Buckingham Palace to pay tributes to their beloved late Queen Elizabeth II, who passed away on Sept 8 after an historic seven decades on the British throne.  Light rain showers throughout the day did not deter the mourning crowds; many held up umbrellas as they continued to pay their respects.

As a continuous stream of citizens came to pay their respect at the Royal residences, crowd controls measures are put in place to guide the public to lay their flowers at nearby Green Park and Hyde Park.  In addition to colorful flower bouquets, many citizens also left carefully written notes expressing their love and gratitude to the departed Queen.

source: #firsthand; #Sept9
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Three days after the passing of Queen Elizabeth II, Hongkongers continue to flock to the British consulate in Central to mourn the departure of the "Boss Lady" -Hongkongers' affectionate nickname for the Queen of this former British colony.

source: #Firsthand

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Three days after the passing of Queen Elizabeth II, Hongkongers continue to flock to the British consulate in Central to mourn the departure of the "Boss Lady" -Hongkongers' affectionate nickname for the Queen of this former British colony.

Thousands of citizens braved the late summer heat to bring flowers and hand-crafted tributes to the ever-growing display outside the consulate, a testament to the city's fondness for the late Queen. The long queue extended along the hilly road and through the nearby Hong Kong Park, reaching Cotton Tree Drive 600m away in the afternoon.

Though the queue to sign the condolence book was closed by 4pm, many were still patiently queuing into the evening to lay down flowers. Towards the rear of the line is Grandma Wong, a familiar face at many rallies and protests in 2019, sporting her signature yellow umbrella and mask decorated with the British flag.

The consulate had extended hours for signing the condolence book on Friday and Monday, to 19:00 and 12:00 respectively, to accommodate the many Hongkongers coming out to pay their respects.

source: #Firsthand

#RIP #QueenElizabethII
Head of Hong Kong journalist group Ronson Chan charged with obstructing police officers during reporting

source: Hong Kong Free Press #Sep19
photo: #firsthand

full article: https://hongkongfp.com/2022/09/19/head-of-hong-kong-journalist-group-ronson-chan-charged-with-obstructing-police-officers-during-reporting/

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Head of Hong Kong journalist group Ronson Chan charged with obstructing police officers during reporting

Ronson Chan, the chairperson of the city’s largest journalist group the Hong Kong Journalists Association (#HKJA), has been officially charged with obstructing police officers while reporting.

Speaking to reporters outside Mong Kok Police Station on Monday, the former Stand News reporter said that he had received a call from the force earlier in the day notifying him that he would be officially charged.

Chan said the charge would bring certain “disturbances and difficulties” for his planned departure to the UK on Wednesday to pursue a six-month fellowship programme at the Reuters Institute at Oxford University.

“Fortunately, the Oxford side says they will support me and they will see what will happen,” Chan said, adding that he will respect whatever decision the magistrate makes.

“If… I lost this chance, I will not [have] regret.” Chan added.

HKFP has reached out to the Reuters Institute for comment.

When HKFP asked what he thought the incident said about the status of press freedom in Hong Kong, Chan said “even in Beijing’s streets, you will never experience any charges for asking a policeman which unit he comes from or him to show his warrant card etc.”

“You can imagine how the environment Hong Kong reporters and journalists facing is – it’s not a very easy environment.” Chan added.

source: Hong Kong Free Press #Sep19
photo: #firsthand

full article: https://hongkongfp.com/2022/09/19/head-of-hong-kong-journalist-group-ronson-chan-charged-with-obstructing-police-officers-during-reporting/

#RonsonChan #PressFreedom
Chinese Students in Hong Kong Mourns Urumqi Fire Victims, Protests Covid Lockdowns

Source: #FirstHand #Nov28

#UrumqiFire #A4Revolution #ChinaProtests #HongKong

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Chinese Students in Hong Kong Mourns Urumqi Fire Victims, Protests Covid Lockdowns

In the evening of Nov 28, students from Mainland China gathered in Central to mourn the victims of the tragic fire in #Urumqi last week. Dozens of Mandarin-speaking young people joined them, bringing flowers, candles, and blank sheets of A4 paper.

Some had handwritten messages on their A4 paper: "R.I.P. Urumqi"; "For Urumqi victims and all zero-Covid policy victims"; "The bell tolls for thee"; "Not anti-CCP, only anti-lockdown"; "reform, freedom, human rights"; "Let all who have courage speak up".

Police arrived to record the identities of attendees, and spoke on loudspeakers to remind citizens not to violate the anti-gathering restrictions. At its peak, the mourning crowd grew to over 100 people, gathering in Theatre Lane in the center of Hong Kong's business district. Speaking to reporters, many mourners expressed their discontent with the anti-pandemic measures in their homeland of China, saying that the lockdown barricades hindered the rescue efforts and contributed to the tragedy.

Source: #FirstHand #Nov28

#UrumqiFire #A4Revolution #ChinaProtests #HongKong