Hong Kong police have decided for the first time to ban a protest plan for Saturday by the group behind some of Hong Kong’s biggest demonstrations, local media reported on Thursday.
Civil Human Rights Front (CHRF) has organised some of the largest protests in Hong Kong over the past three months, including some that drew up to two million participants, according to the group’s estimates.
The next demonstration planned for Saturday – to mark the fifth anniversary of an electoral reform package proposed by Beijing – was unexpectedly rejected by police on Thursday, the South China Morning Post reported.
Police explained the ban by pointing out that “serious injuries” had been suffered by protesters, bystanders, officers and journalists in the aftermath of 22 marches and rallies held since June.
Hours after CHRF learned about the ban, its convener Jimmy Sham Tsz-kit and a friend were attacked with baseball bats by masked men while having lunch at a restaurant in the area of Jordan, in Hong Kong, according to the Post.
Sham was not hurt, but his friend, who tried to protect him suffered injuries to his arm and was treated at the hospital. Police searched the area but didn’t make any arrests.
Hong Kong has entered its 12th week of protests sparked by opposition to a legislative bill that would have allowed for criminal suspects to be extradited to mainland China.
Since then, protesters’ demands have expanded to include requests for greater democracy in Hong Kong.
