Government lawyer says 'police ready to carry out arrests' in Hong Kong
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Government lawyer says police are ready to enforce injunctions to clear protest sites
Police are ready to arrest pro-democracy activists who have ignored court orders to leave Hong Kongs protest sites, local media reported Monday.
Barrister Jin Pao, acting for the Hong Kong government, made the claim in court as he asked the court to extend the injunctions and allow police to arrest anyone they reasonably believe or suspect are in contravention of injunction orders, the South China Morning Post said.
Lawyers for two protesters said the court should not direct police action.
Last week the High Court granted temporary injunctions forbidding protesters from occupying some streets around the Admiralty and Mong Kok protest sites. The orders, which are posted at the sites, have been widely ignored.
The Hong Kong Federation of Students, one of the groups leading the protest movement, has said it would not ask protesters to leave.
The case has been brought by taxi drivers, a minibus operators group and Goldon Investment, the owner of the Citic Tower office block.
Scuffles have broken out at the protest sites as groups of men, some identifying themselves as taxi drivers, attempted to dismantle the barricades erected by demonstrators, claiming they were enforcing the injunctions.
When a group began tearing down barriers with chainsaws and sledgehammers last week, protesters resisted and tempers flared.
The hearing continues.
The protest, which has lasted more than a month, is over reform to a system proposed by Beijing for the 2017 chief executive election. China has proposed that two or three candidates for the territory's top political post are selected by a nominating committee a system the demonstrators claim will result in the selection of pro-Beijing candidates.
Anadolu Agency
Barrister Jin Pao, acting for the Hong Kong government, made the claim in court as he asked the court to extend the injunctions and allow police to arrest anyone they reasonably believe or suspect are in contravention of injunction orders, the South China Morning Post said.
Lawyers for two protesters said the court should not direct police action.
Last week the High Court granted temporary injunctions forbidding protesters from occupying some streets around the Admiralty and Mong Kok protest sites. The orders, which are posted at the sites, have been widely ignored.
The Hong Kong Federation of Students, one of the groups leading the protest movement, has said it would not ask protesters to leave.
The case has been brought by taxi drivers, a minibus operators group and Goldon Investment, the owner of the Citic Tower office block.
Scuffles have broken out at the protest sites as groups of men, some identifying themselves as taxi drivers, attempted to dismantle the barricades erected by demonstrators, claiming they were enforcing the injunctions.
When a group began tearing down barriers with chainsaws and sledgehammers last week, protesters resisted and tempers flared.
The hearing continues.
The protest, which has lasted more than a month, is over reform to a system proposed by Beijing for the 2017 chief executive election. China has proposed that two or three candidates for the territory's top political post are selected by a nominating committee a system the demonstrators claim will result in the selection of pro-Beijing candidates.
Anadolu Agency
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