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In December 2012, Police received notifications from seven organisations to hold public meetings and processions on Hong Kong Island on January 1, 2013. Police have initiated liaison and discussion with the organisers. Today (December 22), Police issued three Letters of No Objection (LONOs) to three of the seven organisers. Police will continue to communicate with the remaining four organisers.
The procession routes concerned are: organiser (1) from Fire Dragon Path near Causeway Road, Tai Hang to Outside Government House, Upper Albert Road, Central; organiser (2) from Kingˇ¦s Road Playground to Drake Street; and organiser (3) from Central Lawn, Victoria Park to East Wing Forecourt, Central Government Offices, Central.
Regarding the procession starting from Victoria Park held by organiser (3), Police have imposed a number of conditions, with due consideration of public safety and public order, which include the following:
- On January 1, 2013 the 47th Hong Kong Brands and Products Expo Fair (HKBPE) is also being held in Victoria Park for which Police will implement crowd management measures. For this reason, organiser (3) and its marshals shall endeavor to assist the Police in dividing the Central Lawn of Victoria Park into different zones, so as to ensure participants enter the Central Lawn in sequence; and also leave the Central Lawn in sequence along the South Boulevard towards the basketball courts at gate 15. And then to ensure the participants leave the Victoria Park, via gate 15, onto the agreed route in an orderly manner;
- As gate 14 of Victoria Park is one of the main accesses for the public to enter the venue of the HKBPE, during the public meeting and procession, Police will implement ˇ§tidal flowˇ¨ measure for crowd management. For this reason, the participants of the public procession shall cooperate with the Police and follow the instructions given by the Police when crossing the basketball courts near gate 14, if necessary, give way to the people who are entering the venue of the HKBPE; and
- During the opening period of the HKBPE, it is expected that there will be a large number of people entering, leaving and gathering at Victoria Park. For this reason, organiser (3) shall endeavor to assist the Police in ensuring the participants not to station any booths at the entrances of and along the main paths inside Victoria Park so as not to cause any unreasonable obstruction to the procession and other members of the public.
Beside, Police have also imposed the following condition on all three processions to be held by organisers (1), (2) and (3):
- Experiences have shown that any booths set up for fund-raising, hawking or promotional activities will cause serious obstruction to the proceeding of the procession. For this reason, the three organisers shall endeavor to assist the Police in ensuring participants will not set up any booths for fund-raising, hawking or promotional activities along the agreed route and as such not to cause any unreasonable obstruction to the proceeding of the procession.
The Forceˇ¦s policy is to facilitate members of the public to take part in peaceful public events and hence has the duty to adopt effective measures to maintain public safety and public order. Police will cooperate closely with the organisers to implement appropriate crowd management measures to ensure that the public events are held in a safe and orderly manner.
Police has uploaded the LONO conditions issued for the above three public meetings / processions onto the Policeˇ¦s website (http://www.police.gov.hk).
Police Report No. 277
Ends/Saturday, December 22, 2012
Issued at HKT 20:34
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