Hong Kong police have announced that they are willing to use the “lowest level of force” and “arrest action” to stop the city’s pro-democracy demonstrators rebuilding the barriers they are seeking to remove.
Since police and the Fire Service Department begun clearing parts of the Occupy sites in Mong Kok and Causeway Bay yesterday, protestors have been utilising everything they can find, including rubbish bins, bamboo poles, wooden planks and, of course, umbrellas, to rebuild their fortresses.
In a statement today, Hong Kong police condemned the rebuilding efforts, calling them “illegal and irresponsible acts which endangered public safety.” In a moment of what must have been particular clarity, they explained that: “Reinforcing the barriers with bamboo poles, wooden planks and concrete made them more difficult to be removed.” That’s kind of the point, no?
Protestors have been warned that police may use force or arrest those who try to charge or obstruct officers as they remove the barriers. In a slightly guilt-trippy appeal, they stressed that if emergency vehicles have trouble accessing the sites, there could be “unnecessary high risks to those buildings located within the barricaded area. In the event of fire or when a sick or seriously injured person requiring immediate medical attention, it may bring serious loss of lives and properties”.
Police and the fire service will continue to deploy front-line staff to clear the streets, while the protestors are showing endless enthusiasm for their new carpentry hobby. We’ve got a feeling that these things must be easier to tear down than build though.
The Meccano wars continue.
Photo: AFP
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