Civil unrest
Civil disorder, also known as civil disturbance, civil unrest, or social unrest is a situation arising from a mass act of civil disobedience (such as a demonstration, riot, strike, or unlawful assembly) in which law enforcement has difficulty ...
occurred in
Mong Kok
Mong Kok (also spelled Mongkok, often abbreviated as MK) is an area in Kowloon, Hong Kong. The Prince Edward subarea occupies the northern part of Mong Kok.
Mong Kok is one of the major shopping areas in Hong Kong. The area is characterised ...
,
Hong Kong
Hong Kong ( (US) or (UK); , ), officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China ( abbr. Hong Kong SAR or HKSAR), is a city and special administrative region of China on the eastern Pearl River Delt ...
from the night of 8 February 2016 until the following morning. The incident escalated from the government's crackdown on unlicensed
street hawkers during the
Chinese New Year
Chinese New Year is the festival that celebrates the beginning of a New Year, new year on the traditional lunisolar calendar, lunisolar and solar Chinese calendar. In Sinophone, Chinese and other East Asian cultures, the festival is commonly r ...
holidays. Eventual violent clashes broke out between police and protesters, resulting in injuries on both sides.
The
Hong Kong government
The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, commonly known as the Hong Kong Government or HKSAR Government, refers to the Executive (government), executive authorities of Hong Kong Special administrative regions of China, ...
has classified the violent incident as a riot (旺角暴動), while some media outlets and social media platforms have opted for calling the event the "Fishball Revolution" (魚蛋革命), in reference to
fishball
Fish balls are rounded meat balls made from fish paste which are then boiled or deep fried. Similar in composition to fishcake, fish balls are often made from fish mince or surimi, salt, and a culinary binder such as tapioca flour, corn, ...
s, a popular
Hong Kong street food
Hong Kong street food is characterised as the ready-to-eat snacks and drinks sold by hawkers or vendors at food stalls, including egg tarts, fish balls, egg waffles and stinky tofu, according to the definition provided by the Food and Agricul ...
. The violence has been described by ''
The Economist
''The Economist'' is a British weekly newspaper printed in demitab format and published digitally. It focuses on current affairs, international business, politics, technology, and culture. Based in London, the newspaper is owned by The Econo ...
'' as "the worst outbreak of rioting
since the 1960s."
Background
Political context
After the
2014 protests, the popularity of
Leung Chun-ying
Leung Chun-ying (; born 12 August 1954), also known as CY Leung, is a Hong Kong politician and chartered surveyor, who has served as vice-chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference since Ma ...
continued to be low, dropping slightly below the low point it had during the protests. His
administration
Administration may refer to:
Management of organizations
* Management, the act of directing people towards accomplishing a goal
** Administrative assistant, Administrative Assistant, traditionally known as a Secretary, or also known as an admini ...
also received poor popularity ratings in a survey by HKPOP, an institute affiliated with the
University of Hong Kong
The University of Hong Kong (HKU) (Chinese: 香港大學) is a public research university in Hong Kong. Founded in 1887 as the Hong Kong College of Medicine for Chinese, it is the oldest tertiary institution in Hong Kong. HKU was also the fi ...
.
The relationship between the
Hong Kong Police Force
The Hong Kong Police Force (HKPF) is the primary law enforcement, investigative agency, and largest Hong Kong Disciplined Services, disciplined service under the Security Bureau (Hong Kong), Security Bureau of Hong Kong. The Royal Hong Kong Po ...
, often referred to as "Asia's finest" in the past, and the public also became strained mainly due to
a number of controversies, including the
beating of protester Ken Tsang by seven plainclothes officers in
Admiralty
Admiralty most often refers to:
*Admiralty, Hong Kong
*Admiralty (United Kingdom), military department in command of the Royal Navy from 1707 to 1964
*The rank of admiral
*Admiralty law
Admiralty can also refer to:
Buildings
* Admiralty, Traf ...
, the indiscriminate clubbing of members of the public by superintendent Franklin Chu in Mong Kok during the 2014 protests and the considerable delay for them to be prosecuted.
The events of 2014 spawned a number of new activist groups with some taking an anti-government and militant stance.
Hong Kong Indigenous
Hong Kong Indigenous is a localist political group established in 2015. It is known for its hardline localist stances and militant methods of protesting. It has been actively involved in protests and engaged into violent clashes with police, ...
, a
localist group formed in early 2015, had previously been involved in violent clashes with police in several
anti-parallel trading protests
Anti-parallel trading protests () took place in Hong Kong between 2012 and 2015, and again in 2019, against parallel traders importing goods from Hong Kong to Mainland China. Protestors claim that parallel trading has caused a shortage of hous ...
.
The various localist groups hold a strong anti-mainland sentiment, generally with the view that the increasing political and economic integration of Hong Kong and Mainland China, as well as the influx of
Mainland tourists and
immigrants
Immigration is the international movement of people to a destination country of which they are not natives or where they do not possess citizenship in order to settle as permanent residents or naturalized citizens. Commuters, tourists, and ...
are undermining the autonomy and identity of Hong Kong.
Hawkers crackdown
The
Chinese New Year
Chinese New Year is the festival that celebrates the beginning of a New Year, new year on the traditional lunisolar calendar, lunisolar and solar Chinese calendar. In Sinophone, Chinese and other East Asian cultures, the festival is commonly r ...
holidays have traditionally attracted many unlicensed
hawkers (street vendors), selling
Hong Kong street food
Hong Kong street food is characterised as the ready-to-eat snacks and drinks sold by hawkers or vendors at food stalls, including egg tarts, fish balls, egg waffles and stinky tofu, according to the definition provided by the Food and Agricul ...
and other products, at popular locations including
Sai Yeung Choi Street
Sai Yeung Choi Street () are two streets in Mong Kok, Kowloon, Hong Kong, namely, Sai Yeung Choi Street South (西洋菜南街) and Sai Yeung Choi Street North (西洋菜北街). Although officially two streets, local people seldom make distin ...
, Mong Kok and
Kweilin Street
Kweilin Street Night Market () is a commercial and social activity that unlicensed hawkers set up their mobile food stores and stalls to sell local street foods and groceries in Kweilin Street (桂林街), Sham Shui Po in Hong Kong.
Typically, ...
, Sham Shui Po. Despite operating without licence, the
Food and Environmental Hygiene Department
The Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) is a department of the Hong Kong Government, reporting to the Environment and Ecology Bureau. It is responsible for food hygiene and environmental hygiene. It replaced part of the role of ...
(FEHD) had, in the past, not taken action against hawkers during the New Year holidays. However, in the years prior to the unrest, the FEHD had begun monitoring unlicensed cooked food hawkers during the Chinese New Year at night markets over fears of unsanitary practices, obstruction of roadways and general disruption.
During Chinese New Year in 2014, FEHD staff conducted surprise inspections at Kweilin Street Night Market making arrests and confiscating stalls causing some public disquiet. However, shortly after the FEHD officers departed, the hawkers returned and a lively night market resumed.
In November 2014
Sham Shui Po District Council
The Sham Shui Po District Council is the district council for the Sham Shui Po District in Hong Kong. It is one of 18 such councils. The Sham Shui Po District Council currently consists of 25 members, of which the district is divided into 25 c ...
, passed a motion of "zero tolerance" towards unlicensed hawkers for the upcoming Chinese New Year.
However, grassroots organisations complained that, due to the government's refusal to issue new hawker licences or construct new markets, hawkers could only subsist by defying the law; they further asserted that Kweilin Street night market was enjoying a resurgence in popularity and a "zero tolerance" policy would only exacerbate grievances.
During Chinese New Year in 2015, there were at least three groups giving vocal support to street vendors in Sham Shui Po
with Hong Kong Indigenous embarking on a campaign of street cleaning to allay concerns over hygiene.
In 2016, however, street hawkers were put under pressure by a citywide FEHD crackdown which drew discontent from locals.
From the evening of 2 February 2016, in the run up to Chinese New Year, hawkers in
Tuen Mun
Tuen Mun or Castle Peak is an area near the mouth of Tuen Mun River and Castle Peak Bay in the New Territories, Hong Kong. It was one of the earliest settlements in what is now Hong Kong and can be dated to the Neolithic period. In the more re ...
who were setting up stall outside a mall near
Leung King Estate
The following is an overview of public housing estates in Tuen Mun, Hong Kong, including Home Ownership Scheme (HOS), Private Sector Participation Scheme (PSPS), Sandwich Class Housing Scheme (SCHS), Flat-for-Sale Scheme (FFSS), Subsidised ...
, operated by
Link REIT
Link Real Estate Investment Trust (, or ; previously known as The Link Real Estate Investment Trust (, or ), managed by Link Asset Management Limited, is the first real estate investment trust in Hong Kong and currently the largest in Asia in ...
, were opposed by a group of masked men identifying themselves as "management" and claiming to represent The Link.
These men later insisted that hawkers could no longer set up in or around the estate, so as not to affect the mall tenants.
[ During the late night market, a number of incidents occurred but were not acted upon by police.]
On the evening of 7 February, Chinese New Year's Eve, tens of hawkers began setting up stall in Kwelin Street night market but were chased away by the FEHD. Sociology lecturer and activist Lau Siu-lai
Lau Siu-lai (; born 3 August 1976) is a Hong Kong educator, academic, activist, and politician. She is a sociology lecturer at the Hong Kong Polytechnic University's Hong Kong Community College and the founder of Democracy Groundwork and Age o ...
, wishing to provoke public debate over the hawker issue, acted in deliberate defiance of the FEHD and was arrested. Originally wishing just to enjoy the ambience of the street market, Lau was arrested when she began to help sell grilled cuttlefish in defiance of the FEHD officers and her arrest was ordered by the senior officer present. There was disquiet over her arrest at the scene, and a number of protesters immediately went to picket the Sham Shui Po Police Station where she was held. That night and through the next day activists began to contact hawkers to encourage them to set up stall in Mong Kok, and also began the online call for supporters to protect local Hong Kong distinctiveness.
Course of events
On 8 February, the first day of the Chinese New Year, FEHD officers attempted to patrol the side streets of Mong Kok. Hong Kong Indigenous called for action online to shield the hawkers, and by around 9 pm a few hundred had gathered and verbally assaulted the FEHD officers.
At around 10 pm, a taxi driving into Portland Street
Portland Street is a popular street in Kowloon, Hong Kong. The street is known for its business and retailing skyscraper complex Langham Place, numerous restaurants and its red-light district.
Geography
Running north-south and parallel to (an ...
accidentally hit an old man. Protesters blocked the road and prevented the taxi from leaving. The Hong Kong Police arrived and surrounded the car, warning others not to get closer. The police left shortly after and returned with a portable podium for crowd control at 11:45 pm, this sparked anger in the crowd. Around midnight, violent clashes broke out between police and protesters as police urged them to clear the street. The police put on protective gear, including helmets and shields and used batons and pepper spray on the protesters, while some of the protesters, equipped with home-made shields, goggles, helmets and gloves, threw projectiles at the police.
At around 2 am, a traffic police officer was injured on Argyle Street. Protesters continued to surround the injured officer and attacking him with projectiles, prompting his colleagues to approach the scene to protect him. One such officer fired two warning shot
In military and police contexts, a warning shot is an intentionally harmless artillery shot or gunshot with intent to enact direct compliance and order to a hostile perpetrator or enemy forces. It is recognized as signalling intended confronta ...
s into the air in an attempt to prevent further advancement of the protesters. Warning shot
In military and police contexts, a warning shot is an intentionally harmless artillery shot or gunshot with intent to enact direct compliance and order to a hostile perpetrator or enemy forces. It is recognized as signalling intended confronta ...
s are not permitted in the Use of Force guidelines in the Police Force Ordinance. The scene descended into chaos as protesters charged the police line and engaged in scuffles and fighting with the police and tossed glass bottles and rubbish bins at them, At 2:30 am, more police arrived at the scene to disperse the protesters. The standoff subsequently moved to Nathan Road
Nathan Road is the main thoroughfare in Kowloon, Hong Kong, aligned south–north from Tsim Sha Tsui to Sham Shui Po. It is lined with shops and restaurants and throngs with visitors, and was known in the post–World War II years as the Golden ...
at 3 am.
At 4 am, the first of multiple fires was started in Sai Yeung Choi Street South, followed by three more ignited in the same street. Some protesters set fire to rubbish bins surrounding Shantung Street
Shantung Street () is a street in Mong Kok, Kowloon in Hong Kong. It spans from Ferry Street in the west to Yim Po Fong Street in the east.
Features
Major landmarks including Langham Place and Macpherson Playground are situated along the str ...
and Soy Street
Soy Street () is a street in Mong Kok, Kowloon, Hong Kong. It starts from Tak Cheong Street in the west, crosses several major streets including Nathan Road, and ends near Waterloo Road.
The section between Nathan Road and Sai Yeung Choi St ...
, including the junctions of Fife Street and Portland Street
Portland Street is a popular street in Kowloon, Hong Kong. The street is known for its business and retailing skyscraper complex Langham Place, numerous restaurants and its red-light district.
Geography
Running north-south and parallel to (an ...
and of Nathan Road and Nelson Street
Nelson Street () is a street in Mong Kok, Kowloon, Hong Kong, China. The street is 240 metres in length and runs in the east-west direction. It can be accessed from exits E1 and E2 of the Mong Kok station. The section between Portland and Sai Y ...
, these were put out by the police and firemen. Both lanes of Nathan Road were blocked from south of Argyle Street and the Mong Kok MTR station was shut down.
At 4:30 am, the Special Tactical Squad
The Special Tactical Contingent (STC; ), nicknamed the "Raptors" (), commonly known as the Special Tactical Squad (STS), is a specialist riot contingent of the Hong Kong Police Force under the command of the Police Tactical Unit (PTU).
It wa ...
were deployed in the intersection of Soy Street
Soy Street () is a street in Mong Kok, Kowloon, Hong Kong. It starts from Tak Cheong Street in the west, crosses several major streets including Nathan Road, and ends near Waterloo Road.
The section between Nathan Road and Sai Yeung Choi St ...
and Sai Yeung Choi Street South
Sai Yeung Choi Street () are two streets in Mong Kok, Kowloon, Hong Kong, namely, Sai Yeung Choi Street South (西洋菜南街) and Sai Yeung Choi Street North (西洋菜北街). Although officially two streets, local people seldom make distinc ...
as a result of failure of combatant from the police force
The police are a constituted body of persons empowered by a state, with the aim to enforce the law, to ensure the safety, health and possessions of citizens, and to prevent crime and civil disorder. Their lawful powers include arrest and th ...
and the escalation of the rioters. They successfully cleared the protesters within 30 seconds. However after 5 minutes, due to lack of reinforcements, they were forced to fully fall back, with one constable injured.
At 7:15 am, protesters were dispersed from Soy Street near Fa Yuen Street
Fa Yuen Street () is a street between Boundary Street and Dundas Street in Mong Kok, Kowloon, Hong Kong. With over fifty stores selling sport shoes, the street is famous for selling sport gear and is known as ''Sport Shoes Street'' or ''Sneaker ...
, following a long standoff, after police officers of the Police Tactical Unit
A police tactical unit (PTU) is a specialized police unit trained to handle situations that are beyond the capabilities of ordinary law enforcement units because of the level of violence (or risk of violence) involved. A police tactical unit's tas ...
were deployed. Protesters gradually dispersed around 8 am. The streets in Mong Kok were calm by 9:00 am, and Mong Kok MTR station was reopened at 9:45 am.
A total of 61 people were arrested, including Edward Leung
Edward Leung Tin-kei ( zh, t=梁天琦; born 2 June 1991) is a Hong Kong politician and activist. He is the former spokesperson of Hong Kong Indigenous, a localist group. He advocates Hong Kong independence, and coined the slogan "Liberate ...
, spokesman of the Hong Kong Indigenous and candidate for the Legislative Council by-election. One of the members of Youngspiration
Youngspiration is a localist political party in Hong Kong founded in 2015. It emerged after the 2014 Hong Kong protests (often dubbed as the "Umbrella Revolution") with an agenda of protection of Hong Kong people's interests and culture agains ...
, another localist group, was also arrested. 90 police officers and several reporters were also injured in the violence. The Hong Kong Journalists Association
The Hong Kong Journalists Association ( Chinese: 香港記者協會) is a Hong Kong association that represents journalists in Hong Kong. Established in 1968, the association acts as a trade union for journalists by seeking to improve work ...
said that a ''Ming Pao
''Ming Pao'' () is a Chinese-language newspaper published by Media Chinese International in Hong Kong. In the 1990s, ''Ming Pao'' established four overseas branches in North America; each provides independent reporting on local news and colle ...
'' journalist was beaten by a policeman despite declaring his identity. Reporters from broadcasters RTHK
Radio Television Hong Kong (RTHK) is the public broadcasting service in Hong Kong. GOW, the predecessor to RTHK, was established in 1928 as the first broadcasting service in Hong Kong. As a government department under the Commerce and Econom ...
and TVB
Television Broadcasts Limited (TVB) is a television broadcasting company based in Hong Kong SAR. The Company operates five free-to-air terrestrial television channels in Hong Kong, with TVB Jade as its main Cantonese language service, and ...
were also injured by protesters.
Incidences of intimidation at Leung King Estate by "management"
Separate minor conflicts continued to occur at Leung King Plaza in Leung King Estate, Tuen Mun
Tuen Mun or Castle Peak is an area near the mouth of Tuen Mun River and Castle Peak Bay in the New Territories, Hong Kong. It was one of the earliest settlements in what is now Hong Kong and can be dated to the Neolithic period. In the more re ...
where hawkers had gathered. A group of men dressed in dark jackets with "manager" (管理員) printed on the backs were reported to be acting, according to residents and hawkers, in an intimidating manner nightly since 2 February. More than 200 showed up to protest against the men combating the hawkers on the night of 8 February. Some minor clashes broke out between the self-proclaimed managers and the protesters, and required mediation by the police. Two protesters were arrested and one reporter was injured during the clash.
Conflicts between the control team and the public reoccurred on the night of 9 February. The control team was filmed beating up protesters while police stood by and prevented others from being involved. A reporter was also beaten up by the control team. A 31-year-old man was arrested for causing disorder in a public place. He allegedly interfered with a worker performing his duties at Leung King Estate. The Link REIT distanced itself from the clashes and denied the hawker control team was part of its staff.
Reactions
Chinese government
Following the incident the central government
A central government is the government that is a controlling power over a unitary state. Another distinct but sovereign political entity is a federal government, which may have distinct powers at various levels of government, authorized or dele ...
declared the localist groups, which it deemed responsible for the violence, as "separatists". On 11 February, more than two days after the unrest, a Foreign Ministry In many countries, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is the government department responsible for the state's diplomacy, bilateral, and multilateral relations affairs as well as for providing support for a country's citizens who are abroad. The entit ...
spokesman stated that the "riot asplotted mainly by local radical separatist organisation ... The Chinese central government believes and firmly supports the Hong Kong SAR government and the police in safeguarding social security, protecting Hong Kong residents and their property, and punishing illegal and criminal activities in accordance with the law, so as to maintain the overall stability of the Hong Kong society."
Director of the Zhang Xiaoming
Zhang Xiaoming (; born 3 September 1963) is a Chinese politician. He was the director of the Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in Hong Kong and then of the Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office, before being demoted to deputy direc ...
, branded participants as "radical separatists" who were "inclined toward terrorism."
The People's Liberation Army
The People's Liberation Army (PLA) is the principal military force of the People's Republic of China and the armed wing of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). The PLA consists of five service branches: the Ground Force, Navy, Air Force, ...
released a statement holding "individual local radical separatist organisation(s)" responsible for the riot as well as criticising western media for "beautifying the unrest" in its early reports.
Hong Kong government
The Hong Kong Police referred to the event as a "riot" and the protestors a "mob". "Radical elements have come with self-made weapons and shields and clashed with police," Crusade Yau Siu-kei, deputy Mong Kok district commander said. "The situation ran out of control and became a riot." It also said it does not rule out the riot was "organised", claiming that prearranged vehicles were used by protesters to transport equipment.
The police released a statement released at 3:23 am on 9 February, strongly condemning the clashes in Mong Kok, and defending its "resolute actions" including the deployment of batons, pepper spray to stop "unlawful violence acts," and vowed "resolute enforcement actions will be taken against any illegal acts to preserve public order and safeguard public safety." Another statement released at 6 am said: "Police reiterate that any acts endangering public order and public safety will not be tolerated. The Hong Kong community regard that the public should express their views in a rational and peaceful manner. Police will take enforcement actions decisively on law-breaking behaviours."
The Hong Kong government condemned the protests, saying "mobs have taken part in a riot in Mong Kok, attacking police officers on duty and media covering the incident at the site" in a statement. It stated that "the mobs would be apprehended and brought to justice."
Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying
Leung Chun-ying (; born 12 August 1954), also known as CY Leung, is a Hong Kong politician and chartered surveyor, who has served as vice-chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference since Ma ...
justified the police firing of warning shots, as the rioters had attacked policemen who were already injured and lying on the ground. "Any big city facing a similar nature of events would classify it as a riot, not just for the government but society as a whole," he said. "The police exercised maximum restraint" when compared with other western countries.
Politicians
Ip Kwok-him
Ip Kwok-him, GBM, GBS, JP (; born 8 November 1951) is a former unofficial member of the Executive Council of Hong Kong, served between 2016 and 2022. He is also former member of the Legislative Council of Hong Kong for the District Council ...
, a Beijing-loyalist (DAB) legislator and chairman of panel of Security of the Legislative Council, defended the police decision to open fire as "appropriate" given the critical circumstances and believed it was an organised crime.
Yau Tsim Mong District Council
The Yau Tsim Mong District Council is the district council of Hong Kong, district council for the Yau Tsim Mong District in Hong Kong. It is one of 18 such councils. The Yau Tsim Mong District Council currently consists of 20 members, of which ...
chairman Chris Ip Ngo-tung, a DAB member, also condemned the violent actions, stating his belief that the people of Hong Kong "would not agree with such barbarian acts." He thanked police and reporters for their duties during the events.
The Democratic Party Democratic Party most often refers to:
*Democratic Party (United States)
Democratic Party and similar terms may also refer to:
Active parties Africa
*Botswana Democratic Party
*Democratic Party of Equatorial Guinea
*Gabonese Democratic Party
*Demo ...
, a pro-democracy party, also released a statement saying that it condemns and does not tolerate any violence and acts of arson, while sending their sympathy to the injured. It urged a full investigation over the firing of warning shots by a police officer, and asked the government to reflect on the underlying problems such as the people's frustration, their loss of faith in the government, and the government's hawker policy.
Lau Siu-kai
Lau Siu Kai () (born 1947), GBS, is a sociologist from Hong Kong. He graduated from the University of Hong Kong, and taught at the Department of Sociology of the Chinese University of Hong Kong, where he is emeritus professor of sociology, aft ...
, vice-president of the Chinese Association of Hong Kong and Macao Studies, a thinktank close to Beijing, suggested that the Hong Kong Basic Law Article 23
Hong Kong Basic Law Article 23 () is an article in the Basic Law, the constitution of Hong Kong. It states that Hong Kong "shall enact laws on its own to prohibit any act of treason, secession, sedition, subversion against the Central Peop ...
, the proposed national security law which is strongly opposed by the Hong Kong public, should be introduced in the wake of the Mong Kok unrest.
Student groups
Seven local university student unions issued statements condemning police violence and declaring their support for those who took part in the protests in Mong Kok. The Hong Kong University Students’ Union (HKUSU) issued a statement entitled "Forever we stand with the rebels", pledging that they "shall never turn our back on or leave them alone and unassisted."
The Hong Kong Baptist University
Hong Kong Baptist University (HKBU) is a publicly funded tertiary liberal arts education, liberal arts institution with a Christian ethics, Christian education heritage. It was established as Hong Kong Baptist College with the support of Ame ...
Students' Union's statement also condemned the government and the police for the unreasonable arrest of protesters, beating up journalists and oppressing Hong Kong Indigenous members. "Between the high wall and the egg, we will always stand on the side of the egg," it said.
The Student Union of the Chinese University of Hong Kong
The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) is a public research university in Ma Liu Shui, Hong Kong, formally established in 1963 by a charter granted by the Legislative Council of Hong Kong. It is the territory's second-oldest university an ...
criticised police action and said that the fire of resistance had been ignited by Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying. "Hongkongers must remember the totalitarian regime and unite," it said.
Activist groups
Scholarism
Scholarism was a Hong Kong pro-democracyWilfred Chan and Yuli Yang, CNNbr>Echoing Tiananmen, 17-year-old Hong Kong student prepares for democracy battle 28 September 2014 student activist group active in the fields of Hong Kong's education po ...
, a student activist group that took a leading role in the 2014 protests, condemned police for the excessive use of force since the 2014 protests. The group expressed shock at the police's deliberate provocation of citizens and for escalating violence on protestors. Joshua Wong
Joshua Wong Chi-fung (; born 13 October 1996) is a Hong Kong activist and politician. He served as secretary-general of the pro-democracy party Demosistō until it disbanded following the implementation of the Hong Kong national security law ...
, the group's convenor, disagreed with the violence, noting that peaceful protest did not achieve any change, blamed the government for the increasing divisions in Hong Kong society and the radicalisation of protests since 2014 Hong Kong protests. Wong questioned the rapidity of the police arrests on this occasion compared with the apparent stalling in prosecuting the officers accused of beating Ken Tsang during the Umbrella Revolution.[
]Ray Wong
Ray Wong Toi-yeung (; born 15 September 1993) is a Hong Kong activist. He founded the localist group Hong Kong Indigenous with other activists who were dissatisfied with the efficacy of Hong Kong's mainstream democratic movement during the 20 ...
, convenor of Hong Kong Indigenous who also took a role in the early stage of the protests, disagreed with Leung Chun-ying framing the clashes as "riot", stating that protestors were only helping the hawkers to do business until the police rushed into Shantung Street at midnight. He dismissed the claim that the violent clashes were staged. He thought that throwing bricks should not be considered as fierce, as compared to other countries. He also believed that firing warning shots was inappropriate.
Journalists
The Hong Kong News Executives' Association, the Hong Kong Press Photographers Association, and the Hong Kong Journalists Association
The Hong Kong Journalists Association ( Chinese: 香港記者協會) is a Hong Kong association that represents journalists in Hong Kong. Established in 1968, the association acts as a trade union for journalists by seeking to improve work ...
(HKJA) all released statements condemning the acts of violence and verbal assaults against reporters, as well as the prevention of reporters from reporting. The Hong Kong News Executives' Association stated that these actions were a serious impediment to the freedom of the press
Freedom of the press or freedom of the media is the fundamental principle that communication and expression through various media, including printed and electronic News media, media, especially publication, published materials, should be conside ...
, destroyed the rule of law in Hong Kong, and deprived the public of their right to know.
Social media
Hong Kong social media users took to Twitter using the hashtag #fishballrevolution, in reference to a popular street food. Some highlighted the fact that the protest was about the problems faced by street food hawkers, while the other suggested that violent factions had hijacked the protest for their own ends.
Google Trends
Google Trends is a website by Google that analyzes the popularity of top web search query, search queries in Google Search across various regions and languages. The website uses graphs to compare the search volume of different queries over time. ...
showed a sharp uptick in interest over fishball in the light of the unrest, with searches for "fishball" jumping 34 per cent and "fish ball" 26 per cent, mainly from Singapore and the Philippines.
Subsequent events
Arrests
Between the end of the protests and 10 February 54 men and 9 women have been arrested for suspected involvement in the unrest. Edward Leung
Edward Leung Tin-kei ( zh, t=梁天琦; born 2 June 1991) is a Hong Kong politician and activist. He is the former spokesperson of Hong Kong Indigenous, a localist group. He advocates Hong Kong independence, and coined the slogan "Liberate ...
and around 20 members and volunteers of the group were arrested. A member of Youngspiration and another from Civic Passion
Civic Passion was a radical, populist, localist, and nativist political party in Hong Kong. Founded by Wong Yeung-tat as an activist group in 2012, it held strong localist views and opposed the involvement of the Chinese government in the ...
, two localist groups, were also arrested. Their alleged offences include participating in unlawful assembly, attacking police officers, refusing to be arrested, obstructing police and carrying weapons. 38 of them have been charged with rioting under the Public Order Ordinance
The Public Order Ordinance () () (’POO’) is a piece of primary legislation in Hong Kong. It codifies a number of old common law public order offences. It imposes notification requirements for public processions and meetings which resemble a ...
(), which was amended in 1970 in the wake of the 1967 Leftist riots. A lone man, who was walking towards Argyle Street on 8 February and who then found himself surrounded by ten police in riot gear, was arrested on charges of obstructing police but later charged with "rioting". A video showing the events leading up to the arrest, showing that he followed orders shouted at him by police, quickly went viral.
On 10 February, Derek Lam (林淳軒), a 22-year-old member of Scholarism
Scholarism was a Hong Kong pro-democracyWilfred Chan and Yuli Yang, CNNbr>Echoing Tiananmen, 17-year-old Hong Kong student prepares for democracy battle 28 September 2014 student activist group active in the fields of Hong Kong's education po ...
, was arrested by the police at the Hong Kong airport
Hong Kong International Airport is Hong Kong's main airport, built on reclaimed land on the island of Chek Lap Kok, Hong Kong. The airport is also referred to as Chek Lap Kok International Airport or ''Chek Lap Kok Airport'', to distinguish ...
while en route to a vacation in Taiwan with his family.[ He was taken into custody and subsequently charged with rioting.] The group confirmed that Lam was present in Mong Kok from 10:00 pm Monday night to 2:15 am, but was not involved in the violence. The police also attempted to search Lam's flat without a warrant but were prevented by Lam's lawyer. Scholarism protested at the "arbitrary" arrest, and the Divinity School of Chung Chi College
The Chung Chi College is one of the constituent colleges of The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK), and one of the three original colleges that joined to form the CUHK in 1963. Founded in 1951 by representatives of Protestant churches in ...
at the Chinese University of Hong Kong
The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) is a public research university in Ma Liu Shui, Hong Kong, formally established in 1963 by a charter granted by the Legislative Council of Hong Kong. It is the territory's second-oldest university an ...
, where Lam was a student, also defended Lam and denied he had been involved in the riots. The school also demanded the police provide justification for his arrest.
Police suspected a possible link of an eco-warehouse in Kwai Chung
Kwai Chung is an urban area within Tsuen Wan New Town in the New Territories of Hong Kong. Together with Tsing Yi Island, it is part of the Kwai Tsing District District of Hong Kong. It is also part of Tsuen Wan New Town.
In 2000, it had a populat ...
to the Mong Kok unrest. On 11 February morning, three people, a 34-year-old architectural draftsman, an unemployed woman aged 46 and a woman aged 47 who sold organic food, were arrested on suspicion of possessing offensive weapons with intent after the police raided their leased unit in the Vigor Industrial Building. A number of items that police deemed were offensive weapons, including 18 knives, wooden batons, metal rods, water pipes, surgical masks, work gloves, Walkie-talkies, a toy gun and bottles of liquid and crystallised chemicals of unknown composition were seized. However, the environmental protection group "Oh Yes It's Free" – which operates the warehouse aiming to categorising rubbish and recycling it – protested that those arrested were innocent and the confiscated articles were donations they had received from the public. The goods and materials found at the site were collected as part of the group's philosophy of reuse and recycling and were temporarily stored in the warehouse awaiting treatment, disposal or collection by the next public.[
On 11 February, police raided the home of Hong Kong Indigenous convener Ray Wong in ]Tseung Kwan O
Tseung Kwan O New Town is one of the nine new towns in Hong Kong, built mainly on reclaimed land in the northern half of Junk Bay (known as Tseung Kwan O in Chinese/Cantonese language) in southeastern New Territories, after which it is named. ...
but did not find him. Subsequently, Wong disappeared from all media contact. Wong was arrested at a friend's residence in Tin Shui Wai
Tin Shui Wai New Town is a satellite town in the northwestern New Territories of Hong Kong. Originally a ' fish pond area, it was developed in the 1980s as the second new town in Yuen Long District and the eighth in Hong Kong. It is due north ...
on 22 February for "incitement to riot and possessing prohibited items".
By 23 February, a total number of 74 people had been arrested in connection to the clashes, of which more than 40 were charged with rioting.
Complaints against police
A ''Ming Pao'' journalist, surnamed Tang, filed a formal complaint with the Complaints Against Police Office
The Complaints Against Police Office (CAPO) is a unit within the Hong Kong Police Force that handles complaints against the force's officers. The Office is part of the Complaints and Internal Investigations Branch of the force's Service Quality ...
after he was filmed being pushed down and beaten by officers. In the video, Tang is heard identifying himself repeatedly as a journalist. ''Ming Pao'' released a statement condemning the police officers involved and called upon the force to investigate.
Official inquiry
The Hong Kong government flatly rejected holding an independent inquiry into the civil unrest, and its official statement caused controversy. In referring to the Mong Kok incident as a "riot" and the 1967 leftist riots, lasting over six months and led to over 50 deaths, as "disturbances", the government apparently sought to redefined the 1967 riots as legitimate political struggle. On 9 February, police commissioner Stephen Lo Wai-chung
Stephen Lo Wai-chung () was the Commissioner of Police of the Hong Kong Police Force. He began service in the police in 1984 and served as Commissioner of Police from May 2015 until his retirement in November 2019.
Biography
Lo attended th ...
announced that a "full investigation" will be held to determine whether the firing of two warning shots by an unidentified police officer was appropriate.
Disappointment within police force
Frontline police officers were reported deeply disappointed with their senior management that left more than 90 officers wounded. They were disappointed with Commissioner Stephen Lo Wai-chung's announcement of a full investigation. "What does he need to investigate? Lo should have stood up for the frontline officers who were beaten up and attacked by the mob, like ormer_commissioner_ ormer_commissioner_Andy_Tsang">Andy_Tsang.html"_;"title="ormer_commissioner_Andy_Tsang">ormer_commissioner_Andy_Tsangdid_in_the_past,"_an_officer_said._Lo_was_questioned_whether_he_could_safeguard_the_pride_and_dignity_of_the_force_when_he_appeared_"soft"_and_"feeble"_to_the_public.
An_officer_slammed_the_force_for_poor_arrangements_and_inadequate_gear,_citing_the_least_equipped_traffic_officers_being_at_the_very_front_to_handle_the_protestors._He_questioned_if_a_political_agenda_was_behind_the_decision_not_to_use_tear_gas._He_suggested_the_use_of_rubber_bullets_would_be_justified_in_the_face_of_such_a_violent,_large-scale_riot._Junior_Police_Officers’_Association_chairman_Joe_Chan_Cho-kwong_appealed_to_Legislative_Council_to_back_the_use_of_"new_model_weapons_and_gears",_including_water_cannons_to_maintain_public_order.
_New_Territories_East_by-election
In_the__Legislative_Council_2016_New_Territories_East_by-election.html" ;"title="Andy_Tsang.html" ;"title="Andy_Tsang.html" ;"title="ormer commissioner ormer_commissioner_Andy_Tsang">Andy_Tsang.html"_;"title="ormer_commissioner_Andy_Tsang">ormer_commissioner_Andy_Tsangdid_in_the_past,"_an_officer_said._Lo_was_questioned_whether_he_could_safeguard_the_pride_and_dignity_of_the_force_when_he_appeared_"soft"_and_"feeble"_to_the_public.
An_officer_slammed_the_force_for_poor_arrangements_and_inadequate_gear,_citing_the_least_equipped_traffic_officers_being_at_the_very_front_to_handle_the_protestors._He_questioned_if_a_political_agenda_was_behind_the_decision_not_to_use_tear_gas._He_suggested_the_use_of_rubber_bullets_would_be_justified_in_the_face_of_such_a_violent,_large-scale_riot._Junior_Police_Officers’_Association_chairman_Joe_Chan_Cho-kwong_appealed_to_Legislative_Council_to_back_the_use_of_"new_model_weapons_and_gears",_including_water_cannons_to_maintain_public_order.
_New_Territories_East_by-election
In_the__Legislative_Council_2016_New_Territories_East_by-election">New_Territories_East_by-election_took_place_on_28_February,_ ormer_commissioner_Andy_Tsang">Andy_Tsang.html"_;"title="ormer_commissioner_Andy_Tsang">ormer_commissioner_Andy_Tsangdid_in_the_past,"_an_officer_said._Lo_was_questioned_whether_he_could_safeguard_the_pride_and_dignity_of_the_force_when_he_appeared_"soft"_and_"feeble"_to_the_public.
An_officer_slammed_the_force_for_poor_arrangements_and_inadequate_gear,_citing_the_least_equipped_traffic_officers_being_at_the_very_front_to_handle_the_protestors._He_questioned_if_a_political_agenda_was_behind_the_decision_not_to_use_tear_gas._He_suggested_the_use_of_rubber_bullets_would_be_justified_in_the_face_of_such_a_violent,_large-scale_riot._Junior_Police_Officers’_Association_chairman_Joe_Chan_Cho-kwong_appealed_to_Legislative_Council_to_back_the_use_of_"new_model_weapons_and_gears",_including_water_cannons_to_maintain_public_order.
_New_Territories_East_by-election
In_the__Legislative_Council_2016_New_Territories_East_by-election">New_Territories_East_by-election_took_place_on_28_February,_Edward_Leung">Edward_Leung_Tin-kei_
Edward_Leung_Tin-kei_(_zh,_t=梁天琦;_born_2_June_1991)_is_a_Hong_Kong_politician_and_activist._He_is_the_former_spokesperson_of_Hong_Kong_Indigenous,_a__localist_group._He_advocates_Hong_Kong_independence,_and_coined_the_slogan_"Liberate_H_...
_who_took_a_main_role_in_the_unrest,_received_a_better-than-expected_result_by_taking_66,524_votes,_15%_of_the_total_votes,_coming_behind_Pro-democracy_camp_in_Hong_Kong.html" ;"title="Edward_Leung.html" "title="Andy Tsang">ormer commissioner Andy Tsang">Andy_Tsang.html" ;"title="ormer commissioner Andy Tsang">ormer commissioner Andy Tsangdid in the past," an officer said. Lo was questioned whether he could safeguard the pride and dignity of the force when he appeared "soft" and "feeble" to the public.
An officer slammed the force for poor arrangements and inadequate gear, citing the least equipped traffic officers being at the very front to handle the protestors. He questioned if a political agenda was behind the decision not to use tear gas. He suggested the use of rubber bullets would be justified in the face of such a violent, large-scale riot. Junior Police Officers’ Association chairman Joe Chan Cho-kwong appealed to Legislative Council to back the use of "new model weapons and gears", including water cannons to maintain public order.
New Territories East by-election
In the Legislative Council 2016 New Territories East by-election">New Territories East by-election took place on 28 February, Edward Leung">Edward Leung Tin-kei
Edward Leung Tin-kei ( zh, t=梁天琦; born 2 June 1991) is a Hong Kong politician and activist. He is the former spokesperson of Hong Kong Indigenous, a localist group. He advocates Hong Kong independence, and coined the slogan "Liberate H ...
who took a main role in the unrest, received a better-than-expected result by taking 66,524 votes, 15% of the total votes, coming behind Pro-democracy camp in Hong Kong">pro-democratic Civic Party Alvin Yeung (37%) and Pro-Beijing camp, Beijing-loyalist Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong, DAB Holden Chow (35%).
– Criminal liability of participants in a riot even if they are not involved in any violent acts
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