Hong Kong protesters assaulted by white-clad gangsters

At least 45 protesters were injured in Hong Kong where the seventh anti-China protest was staged on a massive scale over the weekend as a group of assailants presumed to be members of a multinational criminal ring attacked them with steel bars for over 30 minutes.

According to the South China Morning Post, some 10 men in white T-shirts and masks stormed into the Yuen Long MTR station and assaulted protesters and citizens indiscriminately with iron and wooded rods. The white-clad men chased the passengers who fled into the train cars, wreaking havoc across the station. The mayhem was filmed on the spot by citizens and instantly went viral online.

The rampage was quelled at around 11:30 p.m. after riot police arrived. Blood stains were smeared on the floor around the platform. “The police arrived at 11:00 p.m. but didn’t do anything,” an indignant witness complained. “They showed up 30 minutes after the gangsters left.”

The identity of the mobsters still remains unclear. Local media speculate that the assailants are pro-Chinese forces disgruntled over the latest series of anti-China protests in the City. The SCMP reported that some witnesses suggested that they were triad gangsters notorious for sex trafficking and violent assaults. Rumor is circulating that the white-clad mob were mobilized by the Legislative Council after pro-establishment lawmaker Junius Ho Kwan-yiu was seen shaking hands with men in white T-shirts.

An estimated 430,000 men and women have so far participated in the protests in Hong Kong, which have been staged every weekend since June 9. Some protesters marched towards the Liaison Office of the Central People's Government, a symbol of China’s central government in Hong Kong, to throw black paint and hurl eggs at the Chinese coat of arms. The protesters are making a set of demands such as complete abolition of the extradition law, resignation of Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam, a full investigation into excessive police repression, and introduction of completely democratic election system.


chan2@donga.com