Police dubs June 5 event as ‘festive parade’

The Public Security Police Force (PSP) currently sees the June 5 parade that was attended by dozens of people on a semi-double decker bus as a “festive parade,” Lei Tak Fai, head of PSP’s Public Relations Division, told the Health Bureau’s press conference yesterday.
The police officer defended his bureau’s handling of the evening of June 4, when two daughters of lawmaker Au Kam San were arrested by the police for allegedly holding an illegal gathering.
In the past 30 years, an annual vigil in Macau commemorating the 1989 Tiananmen incident has been held on June 4. This year, the PSP has banned the vigil on the grounds of Covid-19 containment.
At the press conference, Lei reiterated that as the PSP had banned the vigil, any attempt to proceed with it was discouraged and contrary to law.
Coincidentally, two groups held separate parades on the following two days. On June 5, a group paraded from the Macao Science Center to the Macau Tower on a semi-double decker bus. The next day, a group of taxi drivers gathered near the Macau border of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge. The groups are believed to be unconnected.
Both groups held banners to show their support for Beijing’s national security legislation for Hong Kong.
At a previous press conference, the PSP admitted that it was not aware of the two subsequent events. It disclosed that both groups had not declared their activities to the authority in advance, despite this being a legal requirement. The law-enforcement authority also pledged that it would look into the cases and commence prosecution procedures if necessary.
In response, the police officer said, “The goal of [the bus parade] was simply to show support for [China’s] legal decision. There was no topic of appeal or expression of a call for rights whatsoever.”
However, the PSP officer left the matter open by adding that it is investigating both incidents to determine whether they should be covered by the Law 2/93/M, which governs civil protest and assembly.
Lei repeatedly pointed out that “the PSP has been governing by the law.”
Meanwhile, part of the Sheraton Macao Hotel was set aside for use as a quarantine hotel on Sunday night. Inês Chan from the Macao Government Tourism Office advised of the necessity to source additional rooms as the Pousada Marina Infante is currently full. She expects that more rooms will be needed if agreements are made with Hong Kong to transfer returnee students from the Hong Kong International Airport during Summer holidays.

DEMOCRAT LAWMAKER
UNHAPPY WITH HANDLING
OF GATHERINGS
Lawmaker Sulu Sou is not satisfied with the police handling on all three public assemblies. “In my opinion, all three events should not be obstructed in a civil society,” the lawmaker wrote. “Punishment should not be used against the peaceful expression of suggestions.”
“Why did the police arrest some people on June 4, while neglecting the undeclared [assembly] on June 5?” Sou questioned. “The police should clarify this or it will become problematic in the future.”