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Police arranged a special site visit for the members of the Independent Police Complaints Council (IPCC) to observe the policing on the ground during the public event today (1 July 2013).
IPCC members observed the event from start to end, particularly at bottlenecks along the procession route, street stations and the public meeting in Chater Road in Central.
"The site visit allows IPCC members to appreciate police considerations in planning of the operation and understand the policing arrangements.
"It also facilitates IPCC members to observe the policing on the ground and the challenges encountered," a Police spokesman said.
The spokesman reiterated that Police respect the rights of peaceful public procession, meeting and expression of views and have all along handled public meetings and processions in a fair and impartial manner in accordance with the law.
The Force's policy is to strike a balance by facilitating all lawful and peaceful public events while taking responsibility to reduce the impact of such events on other road users or emergency services to ensure public safety and order.
"The Force endeavours to support IPCC in fulfilling its functions under the Independent Police Complaints Council Ordinance. We will continue to work proactively with IPCC in order to increase its understanding of our objectives and practices in a range of areas," the spokesman added.
Police Report No. 373
Ends/Monday, July 1, 2013
Issued at HKT 20:01
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