Wong’s office claims equal treatment to all demonstration organizers

Lawmaker Sulu Sou speaks to a police officer during the June Fourth assembly in Senado Square earlier this year

In a reply to an interpellation by lawmaker Sulu Sou, the Office for the Secretary for Security has insisted that the police authority treats all demonstration organizers equally.

In June, Sou wrote an interpellation to the government asking it to establish a specific communication channel between demonstration organizers and the police authority for future demonstrations in order to avoid the latter being able to add restrictions and conditions to demonstration activities without notice.

In his written inquiry to the government, Sou accused the police authority of applying extra restrictions during a demonstration, reducing the effective expression of public opinion. Such practice lacks legal grounds and may violate the city’s demonstration law.

In particular, Sou remarked that during the June Fourth assembly at Senado Square this year, the police authority suddenly set up fences at the location and restricted the public’s access to the assembly.

Replying to Sou, Wong’s office backed the legitimacy of police officers’ measures.

The reply additionally stated that “there are assemblies at the Senado Square nearly every day, and that the police authority regards all organizers equally and issues notices to them about restrictions imposed on the site.”

“However, when there is a situation which severely disturbs public order and safety, the responsible on-site police officers need to intervene and either persuade or take measures to restore order,” the office wrote.

“When the police authority receives complaints from the residents, and only when it is necessary, officers will engage in verbal persuasion with the organizers or the participants to balance the rights of all parties,” the reply reads.

“When the organizations have doubts regarding frontline police officers’ handling, they can request to communicate directly to the police officer responsible for the demonstration,” added the reply. JZ