A protest at a Yuen Long mall called to mark four months since an indiscriminate attack by a white-shirted mob in the district had a muted response on Thursday, with a relatively small crowd of several hundred people turning up to the peaceful gathering.
The crowd – many wearing the signature black clothes of the protest movement, and wearing masks – sang songs and chanted slogans such as “Yuen Long attack, never forget” and “five demands, not one less”, in the mostly-empty Yoho mall.
Most shops had closed early well in advance of the sit-in, and the Yuen Long station closed at 2pm.
Yuen Long resident Ryan, 30, said he left work early to join the demonstration out of a desire to press the authorities to find out the truth behind the attacks that shocked the city.
A mob had chased protesters and passengers alike at the Yuen Long MTR station on the night of July 21, beating them indiscriminately with sticks and poles, injuring at least 45 people.
Police had left the scene just before the attack, and only returned almost 40 minutes later despite multiple calls for help, sparking widespread accusations that they had been in league with the alleged gangsters behind the rampage.
Another Yuen Long resident, Peter, said he’s disappointed that only a handful of people have been charged with rioting four months after the attack.
“What I know is the police is definitely not doing a good job in any kind of investigation so this is really disappointing to every Hong Kong citizen and not just the people living in Yuen Long”, he said.
Peter says residents in the area are still “living in fear.”
Other sit-ins are being held at MTR stations across the territory.
At Heng Fa Chuen, participants quietly folded origami cranes as they watched videos of the attack.
Passersby vocally shouted out their support, some buying drinks for the protesters.
They responded by reminding people to go out and vote in the District Council elections on Sunday.
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Last updated: 2019-11-21 HKT 20:36
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