4 arrested in their homes before, 209 arrested during clearance and info of 909 recorded

One of the participants in the sit-in is being carried away by the police. (Laurel Chor/Coconuts Media)

Yesterday, the police cleared the main Umbrella Movement protest site in Admiralty. Like they predicted it would be, the process was “generally smooth”, and was a remarkably calm and civil affair given how violent previous confrontations between the police and protesters have been.

At roughly 1:30pm yesterday, the police announced through powerful loudspeakers that protesters had 30 minutes to leave before they sealed off all the exits. After that, any protesters who wanted to leave (and thus avoid arrest) would have to leave through a designated exit and show their HKID to the police.

Almost all the arrests were of people who had participated in a sit-in, and who offered only passive resistance to the arrest by going completely limp and refusing to walk. Some did walk, and some were taken away in wheelchairs due to their age or exhaustion.

The last of the arrests were made at around 9:20pm, bringing the grand total up to 209 people detained, 131 of which were male and 78 of which were female. They were taken away on coaches, separated by gender.

In addition, the police recorded the personal information of 909 people. They have not said what they plan to do with the information, though they have stated they may “pursue criminal liability” against these people at a later time.

Between Wednesday night and yesterday afternoon (before the clearance started), four men between the ages of 26 and 35 were arrested for “taking part in an illegal assembly”, “inciting others to take part in an illegal assembly”, and “organising an illegal assembly”.

(Apparently those offenses are not enough to get you arrested if you’re the founders of Occupy Central and walk into the police station to turn yourself in.)

According to Isabella Steger of the Wall Street Journal, the four were arrested in their homes. They include two major members of more radical pro-democracy activist groups: Wong Yeung-tat, the leader of Civic Passion, and Alvin Cheng, a core member of the brand-new Student Front.

Also arrested were Raphael Wong, the deputy chairman of the League of Social Democrats, and Anthony So, a member of People Power and assistant to lawmaker Ray Chan.

The police have confirmed the last names of the four men arrested in their homes, but have not published their full names.