Special Report: On the ground at last night’s anti-smuggler protests

Multiple clashes erupted in Yuen Long amid another anti-smuggling protest last night, where a main roadway was briefly occupied and police responded with force, resulting in 33 arrests and many injured.

Organised by HK Indigenous and Civic Passion, the protest came after similar rallies in Tuen Mun and Shatin in the past weeks, where hundreds of demonstrators gathered to show their anger about multi-entry visitors permits for mainland Chinese citizens and what they see as an overbearing presence of shoppers and parallel traders.

The rally started at around 3pm at Long Ping MTR West Rail Station, where many protesters and anti-protesters (the irony of people protesting about protesting seemingly lost on them) gathered. Several quarrels occurred.
 

Police were deployed to the scene in large numbers, with clashes between the two groups continuing as the crowd neared the pharmacies on Yuen Long On Ning Road. Dozens of protesters were injured, and shops around the area remained closed in response of the chaos.
 

Police escorted multiple troublemakers from the scene, but seemingly cut them loose uncharged, causing huge outrage among the onlooking protestors.
 

HK Indigenous ended the official protest at 4pm, after which the crowd itself seemed to take control.

The clashes continued, and police used batons and pepper spray in attempt to disperse the crowd, leaving many, including reporters, injured.
 

A man was filmed being pepper sprayed by police while restrained, while a bloodied young woman was arrested.
 

An attempt to take over Castle Peak Road at 5pm was halted as officers rapidly cordoned off the traffic artery.

A plain-clothed policeman demanded “evidence” and “witnesses” as some members of the crowd shouted accusations of protesters being assaulted.
 

One protester told Coconuts HK that he only “wanted the Hong Kong from 10 years ago”. 

“Things are getting unaffordable and ridiculous”, he said.

Castle Peak Road was briefly occupied at 6pm, after which there were multiple clashes between protestors and police, while the ominous “stop charging or we use force” red flag was hoisted.
 

The police did indeed respond with force when an officer, who was accused of assaulting a protester, was himself attacked by individuals in the crowd.

Numbers started to dwindle as night fell, with many demonstrators gathering back at the minibus station.
 

Meanwhile, new series of clashes occurred on the Castle Peak Road as several protesters were arrested and at least two restrained onto the ground.

Crowds surrounded the officers and demanded the release of the arrested, while colonial flags were flown and jeers like “black police” were heard.
 

Some who were occupying the street were pushed back to the pavement by police who used batons against individual protesters.
 

As crowds began to disperse towards the MTR station and numbers continued to lower, a shop window laden with sarcastic stickers about it’s supposed nurturing of parallel-trading activities eventually was all that remained.

Photos: Thomas Chan/Coconuts Media

Police fire pepper spray during protest against Chinese parallel traders