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Hong Kong mask ban sparks violent clashes, rail shutdown
HONG KONG, Oct 5, 2019 (BSS/AFP) – Hong Kong’s entire mass transit rail
system was suspended on Saturday after a night of violence sparked by a ban
on pro-democracy protesters wearing face masks, as the government invoked
emergency powers not used in more than half a century.
The ban was aimed at quelling nearly four months of unrest but instead
sparked widespread clashes and vows of defiance, with a 14-year-old boy
reportedly shot and wounded.
Chief Executive Carrie Lam said she made the order under the Emergency
Regulations Ordinances — a sweeping colonial-era provision that allows her
to bypass the legislature and make any law during a time of emergency or
public danger.
Protests immediately broke out across Hong Kong, initially with large
crowds of office workers blocking roads in the heart of the commercial
district.
Demonstrators later vandalised subway stations, started street fires and
smashed the windows of pro-China businesses as clashes erupted throughout the
evening. Police used tear gas in multiple locations to disperse protesters
who had taken over roads.
“The government doesn’t listen to us. So we are upping our game,” said 32-
year-old protester Nathalie, as hardcore demonstrators trashed the MTR
station in the previously calm neighbourhood of Tseung Kwan O.
In the northern district of Yuen Long, a police officer opened fire when
he was surrounded in his car and attacked by protesters, a petrol bomb
exploding at his feet.
“A large group of rioters attacked a plainclothes police officer in Yuen
Long district. The police officer fell onto the ground and was beaten up by
the group. Facing serious threat to his life, he fired one shot in self-
defence,” police said in a statement. Also in Yuen Long, a teenage boy was
shot and wounded by a live round, the South China Morning Post reported,
citing a medical source. It was unclear if that round was linked to the
plainclothes officer who opened fire.
The entire subway network was suspended, leaving protesters, locals and
Friday night revellers stranded.
As the city awoke on Saturday, train services remained shut — including
the airport line — with the rail operator saying it would assess damage to
stations before deciding when to reopen lines.
– ‘Extremely necessary’ –
Beijing described the ban as “extremely necessary”.
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“The current chaos in Hong Kong cannot continue indefinitely,” Yang Guang,
spokesman for the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of China’s central
government, said in a statement.
“An important moment has come for stopping the violence with a clearer
attitude and more effective measures,” he added.
Critics said Lam’s move was a major step towards authoritarianism for Hong
Kong, which has been governed by China under a “one country, two systems”
framework since British colonial rule ended in 1997.
“She’s like a queen now,” said a 19-year-old student who identified
himself only as JC.
Prominent democracy activist Joshua Wong said the law “marks the beginning
of the end of Hong Kong”.
In the United States, the Congressional-Executive Commission on China, at
which Wong testified last month, said that using the emergency powers “will
not address the grievances underlying four months of protests”.
The powerful US House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi separately
said the ban “only intensifies concerns about freedom of expression”.
– Avoiding identification –
Hong Kong’s protests were ignited by a now-scrapped plan to allow
extraditions to the mainland, which fuelled fears of an erosion of liberties
promised under “one country, two systems”.
After Beijing and local leaders took a hard line, the demonstrations
snowballed into a wider movement calling for more democratic freedoms and
police accountability.
Protesters have used face masks to avoid identification and respirators to
protect themselves from tear gas.
The ban came after the worst violence of the year, when China celebrated
70 years of Communist Party rule on Tuesday. During those clashes, an officer
shot and wounded a teenager — the first such shooting since the
demonstrations began.
The new law threatens anyone wearing masks at protests with up to one year
in prison. For one of those at Friday’s march, the ban would not solve the
city’s woes.
“Youngsters are risking their lives,” a 34-year-old office worker wearing
a surgical mask, who gave her first name as Mary, told AFP.
“They don’t mind being jailed for 10 years, so wearing masks is not a
problem.”
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