Police assault Occupy Central in Mong Kok. Students rebuild barricades
Hong Kong (AsiaNews) - The protesters of Occupy Central have repositioned barricades and reoccupied several streets of Mong Kok after police attacked a large group overnight, arresting at least 26 people.
Overnight police had cleared some
streets around Mong Kok, occupied for nearly two weeks. They confronted thousands of people (9 thousand according to the police) armed only with umbrellas, to defend themselves from beatings and pepper spray.
The unofficial data speaks of more than 60 injured, including 15 policemen.
According to witnesses several young people
lay unconscious on the street from blows of police
in riot gear.
This morning the students reoccupied the areas they
were expelled from yesterday.
The 26 arrested are accused of "illegal Assembly" and
"attacking police officers"
The students claim that the police raid has "deeply undermined" the basis for dialogue with the government.
The Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying had promised to dialogue with the students next week, but on the basis
of Beijing's decisions on electoral reform, which the students
and the Occupy
Central movement would
like to change to ensure a true
democracy to the territory .
Occupy Central, has
released a statement in which it
is stated that the removal operations ordered by the government will "give
rise to a new wave of occupations
and worsen relations between police and citizens."
In recent weeks, the police force has been accused of using
excessive force against defenseless
students. It is also is accused
of collusion with the Chinese mafia for failing
to prevent beatings of protesters by thugs
probably belonging to triads.
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