[ad_1]
Human rights defenders and critics warned of what they called “increasingly aggressive” police tactics in Hong Kong after an officer accosted a 12-year-old girl and pinned her down during anti-government protests on Sunday.
Although the girl was not among the nearly 300 people arrested that day, images of her being immobilized on the streets of Mong Kok angered defenders of the rights of women and children, just days after officers shot down a pregnant woman blocks away before using pepper spray.
During the rally in Kowloon on Sunday, police unleashed rounds of pepper balls and pepper spray. Plainclothes officers pushed the protesters to the ground, while bottles of water were thrown at policemen who were holding batons and chasing other protesters.
The response has raised concerns that officers were using excessive force in a much smaller disturbance than regularly occurred during last year’s social unrest.
A police informant said the force used a preemptive approach by making early arrests, preventing the demonstration from sinking into more violence.
But one expert took a more cautious tone, saying the move risked the arrest of innocent people and did little to rebuild the image of police, hit by accusations that they used excessive force during the months-long anti-government movement. last year.
Demonstrators on Sunday were answering anonymous calls online to protest the national security law enacted by Beijing and the delay in elections to the Legislative Council, which the government postponed for a year, citing health risks during the coronavirus pandemic.
Activists could be heard chanting “Free Hong Kong; revolution of our time ”, a slogan that could go against the new law.
Police estimate that some 1,000 people participated in the illegal protest and, by the end of the day, 289 arrests were made.
The scene involving the 12-year-old girl was captured on video and circulated online. It shows her trying to run away from the police on Sai Yeung Choi Street South, but the officer grabs her and pins her to the ground with his knee. She was later fined for violating social distancing rules, along with her brother.
In a later statement, police said he was acting “suspiciously.” The force informant said the girl and her brother were briefly detained, along with six others, after repeated warnings to disperse. But the girl said during press interviews that she was simply there to buy painting tools.
Billy Wong Wai Yuk, executive secretary of the Hong Kong Committee on the Rights of the Child, called the officer’s actions “unacceptable” and said the video footage showed the girl was underage and unarmed.
“They could have stopped her or used other means instead of knocking her to the ground,” Wong said.
Wong Chi Yuen, a community official with the Society for Community Organization, said such an experience could harm a young person both mentally and physically. Police should have exercised greater judgment to determine whether the girl was a protester before taking action, he said.
During another demonstration on August 31, a pregnant woman was dragged to the ground on Argyle Street by a group of officers and hit by pepper spray used near her.
Later, police said officers did not know she was pregnant and were deeply concerned by the incident.
Mabel Au, president of the Association for the Advancement of Feminism, said officers appeared to lack the ability to clearly identify members of the crowds at protests before taking action against people.
[[nid:488013]]Another force informant said officers adopted a strategy to intervene more quickly and take decisive action to stop large crowds from forming on Sunday, insisting that the mass arrest was “appropriate” and “necessary,” as well as in accordance with prima facie evidence.
The number of arrests over the weekend was the second highest since police adopted the new strategy earlier this year.
More than 370 people were arrested on July 1 during the annual protest on the anniversary of the city’s return to the Chinese government. Authorities cited health risks in banning the event.
“Taking strong and decisive action early on can prevent more serious crimes and send a clear message to others who are involved or intend to participate,” said another police source, referring to scenes of vandalism and arson during last year’s anti-government riots.
Former Chief Public Prosecutor Grenville Cross said that if police had reasonable suspicions that someone was participating in an illegal gathering, officers had to act.
“They couldn’t just turn a blind eye to what they had done, and they would have had enough legal grounds to arrest them,” he said.
Lawrence Ho Ka Ki, an academic who specializes in policing at the University of Education, said the mass arrest strategy served as a successful deterrent to prevent protesters from gathering, helping the force regain control.
But for members of the public already having doubts about the behavior of the police, the approach would only increase their distrust.
