Kowloon: Protest leader Jimmy Sham attacked with hammers and wrenches
He suffered injury to his arms and head. In late August he was attacked in a restaurant with baseball bats and knives. So far at least 9 personalities of the anti-extradition movement have been attacked by unknown thugs. The government condemns the attack as "unacceptable". More insults and interruptions for Carrie Lam.
Hong Kong (AsiaNews) - The leader of the Civic Human Rights Front, one of the promoters of major protests in the territory, was attacked by a group of men with hammers and wrenches, leaving him bleeding on the road with head and arm injuries . Some passers-by who tried to defend him were threatened in turn.
The attack took place yesterday evening at 7.30am in the Arran Lane in Tai Kok Tsui (Kowloon), while Sham was on his way to a meeting of his group in Mong Kok. The Front is among the organizers of the major anti-extradition protests, including that of June 16 last, which brought together 2.3 million people. The demonstrations of the Front are also among the most peaceful.
Sham is also a candidate in the Shatin District Council elections.
It is not the first time that Sham has been attacked: last August 28, in a restaurant in the Jordan neighborhood, he and an acquaintance were beaten by masked men holding knives and baseball bats. Since last August, at least nine figures on the Democratic front have been attacked by unknown thugs.
Hospitalized at Kwong Wah hospital, Sham is now recovering and was seen talking to his lawyer, sitting in a wheelchair. In one of his social media messages, he thanks everyone and says he wants to "get well soon to continue to insist on our five demands and our peaceful, rational and non-violent protests".
"Five demands, not one less" has become the slogan of the anti-extradition movement, which sums up the requests made to the Hong Kong government, including launching an independent investigation into the excessive use of force by the police and ensuring a full democracy in the territory.
According to members of the Front, the attack is an attempt to intimidate the people of Hong Kong to stop them from participating in non-violent demonstrations, such as the one prepared for Sunday 20 October.
They report that the violence is likely to provoke new clashes between protesters and the police.
The Hong Kong government has condemned the attack as "totally unacceptable".
Meanwhile, today at Legco (the Hong Kong parliament), executive chief Carrie Lam has tried to answer questions on her Policy Address yesterday. But again today she has been interrupted several times by pro-democratic parliamentarians who accuse her of being responsible for the divisions and violence in the territory and of having "blood on her hands". At least 10 parliamentary speakers were removed from the house.
Photo: Telegram
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07/10/2019 09:12
