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No acts of violence that threatening public safety would be tolerated, a police spokesman stressed today (December 13) after an incident in which about 200 demonstrators trying to confront police cordon line at Hung Hing Road this afternoon.
During the incident, a number of demonstrators got out from the designated public activities area, the Wan Chai North Cargo Working Area, and pushed forward a wooden article towards the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre.
Despite repeated warnings given by the Police, the demonstrators once and again deliberately tried to confront the police cordon and set fire on the article. The officers on site have assessed the overall situation and it is necessary to contain the situation by using the minimum degree of force.
A total of five persons sustained injuries in the demonstration, including two police officers and three demonstrators. They were all sent to Ruttonjee Hospital for medical treatment. All were treated and discharged later except one demonstrator. No person was arrested in the incident.
The spokesman stressed that the timely intervention by police officers showed that the security measures in place were effective and reliable.
"We are committed to protecting the freedom of expression and will do our best to facilitate such activity provided it is conducted in a peaceful and orderly manner," he said.
"There are other options open to the persons concerned and they do not have to resort to the manner they used to express their opinion at the expense of the safety of others," said the spokesman, stressing that such non-peaceful manner would not be accepted by the Police and the people of Hong Kong.
"Police have been exercising restraint and will continue to do so in the coming few days. We hope protestors will also exercise restraint and carry out their protest actions peacefully as they have undertaken to do so," he added.
Police Report No. 10
Ends/Tuesday, December 13, 2005
Issued at HKT 23:10
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