Attempt to stage protest barred, some media out of the room

Wong Wai Man, president of the Macau Bar Benders Association, attempted to stage a protest in the lobby of the Macao Science Center, adjacent to the conference room where Sam Hou Fai was holding a press conference.

Wong, well-known for his strong views and rhetoric, entered the lobby and tried to make his voice heard.

Security swiftly intervened and immediately removed him from the building.

Wong previously led the Mutual Help Grassroots group in the 2017 elections for the Legislative Assembly, where he controversially proposed cancelling the government’s subsidized home-ownership scheme, among other suggestions.

Wong gained notoriety as an “Internet celebrity” for his group’s campaign posters, where he appeared wearing a Red Guard-style uniform and citing Mao Zedong’s slogan, “Serve the people,” written in Chinese. He subsequently took part in a debate broadcast by public broadcaster TDM, where he dressed as “Captain Macau” in a green outfit resembling comic book character “Captain America.”

Press conference organizers also barred several international news agency representatives from accessing the conference room, including the Association France Press, as well as the world’s largest financial newspaper, Nikkei, whose reporter was escorted to a separate room to watch the press conference on television.

Reporters in this secondary room did not have access to interpretation services for the press conference, which was broadcast in Cantonese.