WTO Rioting in Hong Kong.... :(

bbchris · Posted: Sun Dec 18, 2005 6:20 am Post subject: WTO Rioting in Hong Kong.... :(

Wan Chai was under siege early this morning after more than 1,000 anti-WTO protesters clashed with police in the worst violence Hong Kong has seen in decades.

Demonstrators broke through police cordons, snatched police shields, batons and helmets, and repeatedly tried, but failed, to overturn a police van. They pulled metal barriers apart to use as weapons, along with bamboo flagpoles, and came within metres of the Convention and Exhibition Centre.

Police responded with tear gas, pepper spray and water cannon.

Some 900 defiant protesters remained on Gloucester Road this morning, but none had been arrested. At least 70 people were injured, two seriously, including 21 Chinese and 33 Koreans.

Police chief Dick Lee Ming-kwai said security at the convention centre, which was locked to ensure protesters did not storm the building, was not compromised. He said he had not contacted the PLA garrison and saw no reason to do so.

He said the 900 demonstrators had been "rounded up" by police and would be "processed in accordance with the laws of Hong Kong".

With the activists remaining in place, having rejected a police invitation to move off the road to another area, they were given a 2.30am deadline to move before officers cleared the area.

Mr Lee said police would step up the use of force if violence erupted again at a rally and march planned by overseas and local anti-WTO protest groups today.

The street riots overshadowed events within the WTO ministerial meeting, where negotiations remained largely gridlocked as the prospect of a deal to slash agricultural tariffs all but evaporated.

Delegates from the 149 voting members of the WTO issued a draft text on the status of the Hong Kong talks, but it failed to establish a consensus on a host of hotly debated issues including a special package to open markets to the world's 50 poorest countries. "[The text] lacks ambition, it lacks balance, and we hope it can be improved," said European Commission trade chief Peter Mandelson, who had to be ferried to the meeting by boat because of security concerns and because all roads into Wan Chai had been closed.

Talks carried on into the early hours of the morning as negotiators struggled to find common ground on issues such as a date for eliminating government farm-export subsidies. WTO officials are expected to issue a revised draft today.

Secretary for Security Ambrose Lee Siu-kwong was forced to shut Wan Chai and parts of Causeway Bay after protesters repeatedly broke through police lines.

The riots caused havoc to traffic and public transport systems. Roads were jammed and Wan Chai MTR station was closed, with trains passing straight through.

Speaking on a radio show, Elizabeth Tang Yin-ngor, chairwoman of the Hong Kong People's Alliance on the WTO - the umbrella group that has been organising protests during the meeting - said the demonstrators had been "too violent" but said police had acted inappropriately by not warning protesters they were about to use tear gas.

The Security Bureau sent mass phone-text messages to the public, urging them to avoid Wan Chai and leave the area. Mr Lee also appeared on television early in the evening urging people to avoid Wan Chai.

"This afternoon, the WTO demonstrators have shown their true colours by resorting to violence, breaking our law and order and disobeying the instructions of our police officers," Mr Lee said. "I condemn such illegal behaviour and I think the Hong Kong community will join me in condemning such irresponsible behaviour."

Legislator "Long Hair" Leung Kwok-hung was among the demonstrators on Gloucester Road. He was resigned to the police using tear gas. "How else can they disperse such a large crowd? We're not going to move voluntarily."

bbchris

Sir Reel · Joined: 26 Oct 2004 Posts: 237

Wow!...just, ... wow!

Keep safe, Chris.

ED1G · PIGGY MOONRUST Joined: 31 Oct 2002 Posts: 2644

Thats awful.... yeah take care Chris!!!

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Steve Iannetti · GweiLo Joined: 24 Jan 2002 Posts: 697

The tanks are on the way.

HKRockChick · No More Peas! Joined: 25 Nov 2003 Posts: 1513

There was a bit of violence on friday, which got escalated on saturday, and that was the worst of it. The cops arrested about 900 people, and today there are probably about 300 still in custody. They got the most fanatical of the protesters off the street. Many HK people sympathise with the protesters, as do I, but the cops did what they had to do, I believe with minimum force. In other countries they probably would've used rubber bullets without much ado.

p210.ezboard.com/fmymp3bo...1017.topic

:popcorn

bbchris

What I'm wondering about is where on earth they would put the 900 people they arrested?!?!?!?!

HKRockChick · No More Peas! Joined: 25 Nov 2003 Posts: 1513

Me too. They probably rounded them up and figured out who had attacked the cops directly etc and let the rest go...

Did you come into town yesterday?

bbchris

No I didn't. Shaun was ill so I played nursey...

It's been a strange week over all to be honest. One of Shaun's staff was covering the event - and he told us there is/was around 9000 journalists (including photographers) covering the event. Sounds way more than demonstrators....

There was stuff happening in Central and in Admiralty that I came across plus the MTR was way busier than normal due to people avoiding buses.... Plus I've never seen so many policemen walking about!