OCCUPY CENTRAL - DAY SEVEN: Full coverage of the day's events
PUBLISHED : Saturday, 04 October, 2014, 8:06am
UPDATED : Sunday, 05 October, 2014, 9:11am
Occupy and anti-occupy groups scuffle in Mong Kok on Saturday. Photo: Sam Tsang
Welcome to our continuing 24-hour Occupy Central coverage.
Pan-democrat lawmakers have called last night's violence in Mong Kok an orchestrated attack by the government and triad gangs on demonstrators. Eighteen people were injured in the violence, including six police officers. Police arrested 19 people, some of whom they said had "triad backgrounds".
Sporadic clashes have continued throughout the day in Mong Kok while arguments between the pro- and anti-Occupy camps persist in Causeway Bay. Meanwhile, protesters are gathering in their thousands in Admiralty.
6.30pm: Here’s the full English translation of CY Leung’s speech, addressed to Hongkongers ...
Over the last week, the “Occupy” movement has extended to many districts on Hong Kong Island and in Kowloon and caused serious affect on citizens’ daily life and income, and services provided to citizens by the government.
Yesterday, some protesters sieged the government headquarters and the chief executive’s office, blocking all the entrances and exits, leading to 3,000 government staff unable to go to work. We must ensure the buildings’ safety and resume operations.
From yesterday afternoon to evening, a conflict happened in Mong Kok between the “Occupy Central” and “anti-Occupy Central” people. It was very chaotic, injuring many people, including members from the press. The SAR government strongly condemns all people’s violent behaviour. If the incident continued, it is very likely to keep going out of control, causing serious affect on citizens’ safety and social order.
Over the past few days, the government repeatedly called for those who rallied in the roads to disperse peacefully. It also repeatedly and sternly warned those who were outside the government headquarters to stop blocking the entrances and exits.
Now the government and the society both hope:
1. All citizens, including those who support “Occupy Central” and oppose “Occupy Central” in each district keep calm. There should not be any violent act. 2. The best effort needs to be made to resume social order to let citizens resume normal life
Besides easing the Mong Kok conflict and preventing similar conflict from happening in other districts, at the moment, the most urgent thing is that the government headquarters’ entrances and exits must be kept clear on Monday, so 3,000 government staff can go to work normally and serve citizens. The roads in Central and Western and Wan Chai Districts must no longer be blocked, so all schools can resume classes on Monday.
There are many social issues that need to be resolved, but the correct way is to communicate rationally and to seek common ground while reserving differences, not street fights, which will further worsen the issue.
I hope “Occupy Central” organisers and participants pay attention to the interests of the whole and immediately stop the rallying activities in the roads. The government and the police have the responsibility and resolution to take all actions necessary to resume social order and let the government and all 7 million citizens resume their normal work and life.
6.25pm: There are some 300 protesters in Causeway Bay now. The anti-Occupy continue to make their views known, berating protesters or getting involved in heated exchanges with Occupy supporters.
Police are keeping the two sides and urging people to move on when it becomes too crowded.
6.03pm: Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying is adamant that government operations and schools affected by Occupy Central must resume on Monday.
"At the moment, the most urgent thing is that all entrances and exits of the SAR government's headquarters must be kept clear on Monday, so all 3,000 government staff can work normally and serve citizens," Leung says in a televised speech.
"And roads in Central and Western and Wan Chai districts will no longer be blocked so all schools can resume classes on Monday."
He also says if the conflict between pro- and anti- Occupy Central groups continue, it would be "very likely to keep going out of hand".
6pm: A government supporter in Mong Kok waves the national flag ...
5.50pm: Two government trucks carrying water and food supplies arrive in front of the chief executive's office to deliver supplies to police. Dozens of protesters blocking the gate at the scene refuse to let the vehicles go through, as some say they feared the deliveries could in fact be weapons. Police concede and arrange for the goods to be unloaded in the open area outside of the office for protesters to watch.
Bottles of water, hampers with fruit and boxes are unloaded and delivered into the office manually by government staff, under protesters' scrutiny. Upon request by several protesters who still appear unconvinced, police open several of the boxes for them to see, showing food inside.
"What's inside this box?" a protester asks.
"Soap." a government deliveryman answers.
"What's inside that box?" another protester asks.
"Hair dryers," a policewoman replies.
"Wow! There are even soap and hair dryers! Are there condoms?" "What about sanitary towels?" Two other protesters ask.
No one replies.
5.45pm: A crowd of some 300 people has been drawn to the anti-Occupy Central forum in Mong Kok. Patrick Ko of Voice of Loving Hongkong accuses the pan-democrats of applying double standards on police use of tear gas:
"When police used tear gas to disperse the protesters they mobilised, the pan-democrats criticised the police for using excessive force to repress protesters,” he says.
"When their supporters were outnumbered and losing, they criticised the police for not using tear gas to disperse the opponents.
"They kept asking why the police did not enforce the law to protect the occupation protesters. I want to tell them. Those occupation people would not have been still occupying the road if the police had enforced the law in the first place to evict them.”
5.40pm: Some facts and figures on the protests:
2.8km of road is now affected by Occupy Central rallies on Hong Kong Island and Kowloon, which is fewer than the 3.4km affected yesterday, says Lee Kwok-chung, senior superintendent of traffic branch headquarters.
A total of 528 people have used hospital services since September 28 due to reasons related to Occupy Central rallies, says Dr Liu Shao-haei, chief manager of the Hospital Authority.
Meanwhile, 225 bus routes have been suspended, truncated or diverted due to the rallies, about 45 per cent of all bus routes, according to Albert Su, assistant commissioner for transport.
5.33pm: Huge crowds have gathered in Causeway Bay after a man angrily yells at protesters.
Police arrive to persuade the man to move and for onlookers to move out of the way.
5.20pm: Police may arrest more people who were involved in the violence in Mong Kok last night, Assistant Commissioner of Police Cheung Tak-keung, says.
He says it was crowded and chaotic in Mong Kok last night and that the police's first and main task was to separate the two opposing groups to prevent further physical contact.
Cheung again appeals for people to leave the rally peacefully and orderly to prevent more conflict.
Secretary for Food and Health Dr Ko Wing-man meanwhile, says more than 50 people were injured during the violence in Mong Kok and Causeway Bay.
5.15pm: Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong has commented on Occupy Central. In quite the understatement, he says that it’s “a difficult situation for the chief executive and his team to manage”.
“I’m quite sure there’s a large team on the Chinese side in Beijing watching this very carefully … very, very carefully,” he says.
READ: 'Beijing will be watching carefully': Singapore PM on Occupy Central
5.10pm: Anti Occupy Central group, I Care Action, have just wrapped up a forum at Sai Yeung Choi Street South pedestrian precinct in Mong Kok. One of the group’s leaders, Chan Ching-sum, urges prompt police action to evict the protesters and reopen the roads to traffic.
"Occupying the roads is nothing about democracy. It's to destroy Hong Kong people's daily life," Chan says. "We want our harmonious society back. We want to go to work, we want to go to school."
On the violent conflicts between rival groups, Chan asks: "Who first stirred up trouble? Is it legal to block wherever you like?"
5.05pm: Former Democratic Party lawmaker Cheung Man-Kwong tells thePost that the Occupy campaign is in a "very dangerous situation" that has to be resolved "in a very short period of time".
He urges the students to launch dialogue with the government as soon as possible in order to find a way out of the current political deadlock.
"The dialogue is not about the political reform anymore. It is about finding a solution to ease the political tensions we are facing," Cheung says.
"I hope they can at least sit down and talk, in order to avoid tragedy."
5pm: The demonstration scene outside the chief executive's office in Admiralty remains calm, with a relaxed atmosphere on both the police and the protesters' side.
About 30 protesters are standing and sitting there, chatting, eating or reading, while about 20 uniformed police officers are standing by behind their cordon. One of the two westbound lanes of Lung Wo Road remains blocked by metal barricades set up by protesters.
4.50pm: The decibel level at the junction between Nathan Road and Argyle Street in Mong Kok rises a few notches as hundreds of students chant slogans at a few anti-Occupy agitators.
The men, who have made repeated appearances in the area throughout the day, are escorted away by police.
4.40pm: Teacher Wendy Yu, disturbed at the violent and abusive direction in which events surrounding Occupy Central are going, calls on protesters to keep cool heads and focus on core values in this opinion piece:
READ: Remember the spirit of the protest movement, despite rising frustration and disillusionment
4.25pm: The Federation of Students say the government must provide further explanation for the scuffles in Mong Kok yesterday before they can hold talks with the administration.
The students’ plan to talk to Carrie Lam was shelved last night amid the clashes.
They are also calling on supporters to attend an assembly in Admiralty at 8pm to voice their opposition to the violence.
Alex Chow, Secretary General of the Federation of Students, says they would decide whether, and how, to escalate their actions after tonight's assembly and subject to the government's response.
But they did not set any clear deadline or preconditions - such as the resignation of Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying - as they did earlier this week.
"The Government may be preparing its responses to the violent incidents, therefore we would wait and see how they respond, and then we would decide whether there is still room for dialogue," Chow said.
Meanwhile, Chow said protest organisers will continue to help supporters to occupy streets in different areas, including Mong Kok and Causeway Bay. This is in contrast with the calls last night by Occupy co-founder Benny Tai who asked supporters to leave Mong Kok.
Joshua Wong, convenor of student activist group Scholarism, condemned the anti-Occupy supporters for resorting to violence.
The student leaders also accuse the police of colluding with triads – which the government has strongly denied – and vowed to continue their fight for true universal suffrage.
4.15pm: All is calm in Mong Kok at the moment, bar a few shouting matches here and there, and the Post’s Bryan Harris even describes the scene as “something akin to pleasant”.
Many anti-Occupy protesters have gone home now and the students have reinforced their positions. Shoppers are enjoying an empty Nathan Road. The sense of fear felt by students yesterday appears to absent as their ranks begin to swell.
4pm: Causeway Bay is occupied by roughly 200 protesters and their numbers are growing. Members of the public approach the protest site at random intervals to berate protesters, accusing them of bringing inconvenience to their daily life.
Police officers patrolling the area have corralled the anti-Occupy camp away from the protest site and asked people to move every time a crowd gathers at the crossroads outside the Sogo department store.
3.45pm: Scenes of confrontation continue in Causeway Bay as arguments break out between the protesters and those who say it’s time for the demonstrations to end …
3.33pm: Protesters have altered a road sign near government headquarters in Admiralty …
3.25pm: The battle between the generations continues on Nathan Road in Mong Kok, with heated exchanges between the rival groups. Police are forced to separate a student from an elderly man.
"I can't get to work since you've blocked the road," he screams. "You are being paid to be here"
Amused students respond by shaking their heads.
3.10pm: The Foreign Correspondents' Club has released a statement condemning attacks on journalists covering the protests …
There have been several reported cases of both overseas and local reporters being either assaulted or intimidated while covering the demonstrations, held at different locations, during the Occupy Central movement. The reports reached a worrying intensity on Friday when an anti-Occupy crowd took to the streets of Mongkok.
The reported victims are both male and female, staff reporters and freelancers; some are student journalists. A reporter from RTHK was reportedly beaten by police. A foreign journalist was struck on the face by a full water bottle thrown by an anti-Occupy protester, and the journalist has video of the event. A woman reporter was struck on the arm, and some others have been threatened with sexual assault. No one has so far been arrested, to the best of our knowledge, and in one case police were observed leading an alleged assailant to a taxi instead of making an arrest. There have also been allegations that officers have taken away alleged assailants, only to release them within minutes.
The Foreign Correspondents' Club, Hong Kong, is deeply disturbed by these reports, especially those ascribed directly to police officers, or where police could have intervened but do not appear to have done so.
Reporters, like all citizens, rely on the police for protection. The right to a free press and to free expression are constitutionally guaranteed here. We fully expect the neutrality and professionalism for which Hong Kong police have been renowned. Reports such as those outlined above do considerable damage to Hong Kong's image both at home and abroad.
We call on the police force to respect the duty of journalists to carry out their professional duty to report these events free of interference and harassment.
3pm: Here’s a selection of very strongly-worded opinions from the pan-democrats’ press conference earlier this afternoon …
"Hong Kong is like in Cultural Revolution in 1967 now. The SAR government is pushing Hong Kong onto the road of Cultural Revolution."
- Frederick Fung Kin-kee, Association for Democracy and People's Livelihood
"Our society has reached a point where violence may erupt any time."
- Fernando Cheung Chiu-hung, Labour Party
"Hong Kong has been taken over by triad gangs! It is anarchy!"
- Joseph Lee Kok-long, independent pan-democrat
"We strongly condemn the mobs. They vandalised and attacked peaceful occupiers who were demonstrating for their basic rights."
- Alan Leong, convenor of pan-democrats' lunchbox meeting
2.50pm: Democratic Party chairwoman Emily Lau Wai-hing says she has just received an email from Executive Councillor Fanny Law Fan Chiu-fun, who suggested that pan-democrats and pro-government lawmakers issue a joint statement to call for peace.
Lau said: "We welcome dialogue. However, it appears that people with [triad gang] 'backgrounds' are behind the incident. She had also contacted another Executive Councillor Jeffrey Lam Kin-fung, in the hope that he could help arrange a meeting with Chief Secretary Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor.
Civic Party leader Alan Leong Kah-kit, convenor of pan-democrats' lunchbox meetings, said they did not request to meet Chief Executive Leung Chin-ying because they did not trust him at all: "We simply don't think the Chief Executive is somebody we want to talk to ... He's not somebody we trust."
Leong even put forward the theory that Leung was the mastermind behind the violence. "I have strong suspicion that he has directed, he is the director behind what happened yesterday."
2.47pm: Today marks a full week of Occupy Central protests in Hong Kong, a week that has seen tumultuous scenes of chaos and violence which have been broadcast around the world.
So how did we get into this mess? The Post’s video team gives a quick recap here.
2.45pm: These photos just in of protesters gathering in Admiralty this afternoon ...
2.30pm: Police reinforcements have arrived in Mong Kok, again hours after confrontations began.
"They always come once the incidents are over" says student protester Hilson Yu.
There have been fewer violent incidents as the afternoon has progressed, according to the Post’s Bryan Harris at the scene but he says that verbal confrontations between protesters and the anti-Occupy camp are frequent and heated.
2.15pm: More from the pan-democrat press conference held earlier this afternoon …
The pan-dems are requesting to meet with Chief Secretary Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor and security minister Lai Tung-kwok to discuss the situation after the eruption of violence on Friday night. Democrat James To Kun-sun said he had contacted Lai urgently at around 2am this morning and Lai responded with a message at 7am that he would consider a meeting.
To dismissed police claims that it had taken one hour for officers to get the Mong Kok by MTR after violence broke out. "It took one hour [to go from Admiralty to Mong Kok]? It's a tale,” he said
Responding to Lai's explanation at a press conference that police had not used tear gas on the mob because the streets there were narrow, To said: "This implied that the situation had reached the level that would have used tear gas if the geographical condition allowed. Why did the Mong Kok police not immediately ask for extra manpower? There was no reason not to escalate police action."
2.10pm: This footage just in from the Post’s Danny Mok of scuffles in Mong Kok earlier today ...
2pm: In a joint press conference, pan-democrat lawmakers have called the Mong Kok violence an orchestrated attack by the government and triad gangs on demonstrators.
"Over the past few hours police did not deploy manpower to ensure safety in Hong Kong, which is highly suspicious. I cannot believe that the experienced Mong Kok police could not identify triad gangsters ... The government has used organised, orchestrated forces and even triad gangs in attempt to disperse citizens," said Democrat James To Kun-sun, who is also the deputy chairman of the Legislative Council's security panel.
Unionist Leung Yiu-chung agreed, complaining that selective arrests were made. "Some people who attacked others boarded taxis under police escort and were not arrested ... But Occupy Central supporters were immediately handcuffed."
Claudia Mo Man-ching said she was perplexed by the lack of police presence in Mong Kok during the protests until the massive violence yesterday. "I was there for four days and saw only one police officer passing by ... There was almost zero police presence, as the media witnessed."
1.45pm Causeway Bay is busy with shoppers and the number of protesters has also picked up a bit.
Anti-Occupy demonstrators have come to shout and yell at protesters. Those that try to instigate anything further than verbal abuse have been lead away by police officers, who are keeping the two sides apart. The protesters chant “calm down” each time an argument starts.
1.15pm: Secretary for Security Lai Tung-kwok has strongly denied accusations the police colluded with triad gangs during scuffles in Mong Kok on Friday.
He has also explained why the police did not use tear gas to disperse the crowds in Mong Kok, as they did against the Occupy Central supporters in Admiralty a week ago.
“Due to the geographical environment, it would be dangerous to fire tear gas in the narrow streets and [where] large amounts of people from both sides [are] gathered in the same area,” said Lai.
Lai insisted the police have been enforcing the law faithfully and impartially.
“The accusations against police were fabricated, over-the-top and unreasonable. They are also unfair,” he said.
He reiterated that of the 19 arrests made on Friday, eight suspects were found to have triad backgrounds and the police would continue to investigate whether the violence had been organised in advance.
He also said the police had tried their best under difficult circumstances to help people leaving the area where the confrontations were taking place.
Lai did not, however, address directly whether the police force was short of manpower or how it planned to prevent the same chaos from occurring again.
He advised the public not to go to the areas where the protests are held.
The secretary for security did not respond to the question of when, and whether, the police would clear Occupy supporters from Admiralty.
1.11pm: Violence has broken out on the streets on Mong Kok again as protesters defend their barricades against a crowd of about 100. Police are nowhere to be seen as bottles are thrown and scuffles ensue. One local reporter has his video equipment damaged in the fracas.
12.45pm: Police patrolling Causeway Bay are asking anti-Occupy protesters to leave if they shout or try to start a fight. With that exception, the scene is peaceful so far with the number of protesters starting to pick-up.
12.30pm: Pan-democrat legislators are asking for a meeting with Chief Secretary Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor and security minister Lai Tung-kwok to discuss the situation after the eruption of violence on Friday night and scuffles on Saturday.
Our interactive map with time-lapse videos from Occupy Central protest sites has been updated to contain all archive videos since protests started a week ago. Watch it here.
12.20pm: In front of Langham Place on Argyle Street in Mong Kok students are facing off against residents as a crowd opposed to Occupy attempts to tear down the barricades.
One Mandarin-speaking lady is in the thick of the fray, trying to pull away the wooden pallets. Plenty of shouting is taking place, but no actual fighting. All sound, but no fury.
12.15pm: Mong Kok sit-in participant Pon Sze-hang, 21, (below right) says he is not intimidated by the non-stop rounds of verbal and physical spats taking place around him and his two peers, even though he has been hit during the clashes.
Asked if he is worried about the return of the trouble makers, he says: “No, as long as the crowd are big ... If there are triad people, we can just run to the next street. Mong Kok is very important, extending the battle front is important, so there is no reason to retreat. Summoning up power [in Admiralty] is no use. We are now talking about road blocking “
A trader who identifies himself as Tai, watching the protests in Mong Kok as his children attend a nearby music school, says: “The reason these youths are so angry is that since the handover the government has let the rich get richer and the poor get poorer. They’ve pushed up property prices so much that the poor can’t complain because they’re too busy trying to pay their mortgage. With 70 per cent of salary going to the mortgage, university graduates see no hope in Hong Kong.”
Noon: The scene at midday in Causeway Bay is calm. There are not many protesters on the ground but a number of people who didn’t attend on Friday are here to show support.
Lucas Lim, from the University of Hong Kong, says he feels ashamed that he was not at the protest on Friday.
“I want to show that Hong Kong people are not afraid of violence, especially violence by illegal groups,” Lim says.
He understands the movement has caused inconvenience but thinks Hong Kong people have to strive for universal suffrage.
“We are fighting for a better Hong Kong and this is the last chance for Hong Kong people,” he says.
11.35am: Conditions are largely peaceful outside the chief executive’s office in Admiralty where some 20 young protesters are gathered .
A 70-year-old man arrives at around 11.15. He is clearly emotional and questions why protesters are blocking roads and limiting his freedom.
Lawmaker “Long Hair” Leung Kwok-hung, who is with the protesters, attempts to mediate and tells the man to appeal to the police.
The elderly man continues to speak for 15 minutes, until he breaks down in tears and two members of the negotiation team take him behind the police cordon zone to comfort him.
Some of the protesters joke, telling Leung: “You may get into [the] chief executive’s office if you cry too”.
Nearby, a group of about ten female students from the Chinese University display placards and walk around the protest area to encourage people to continue their efforts.
“We are not afraid, but we are heartbroken that Hong Kong has sunk into violence,” says Louise Cheung, one of the students.
10.55am: Loud, heated exchanges continue in Mong Kok close to the sit-in. A physical clash erupts between pro- and anti-Occupy groups after a man tries to pull down tent used by the protesters.
10.30am: Chris Lau, a protester who has been defending the barricades in Causeway Bay since Monday, says: "I feel so helpless now. They [anti-Occupy groups] seemed to be so well organised but we are just ordinary students and citizens."
Despite attacks from those opposed to the protests, Lau says he will continue fighting. "I'm exhausted, physically and psychologically. But I would not leave."
He says he has been unable to sleep for the past few nights: "I have to stay vigilant and I'm afraid people or police are gonna come and destroy everything,"
"I'm upset now because of the negative situation," Lau says with tears in his eyes, "I dont know why Im so emotional I have only cried when police fired tear gas at Admiralty on Sunday."
10am: Anti-Occupy "blue ribbon" marchers disperse in Wan Chai after a brief rally ouside the police headquarters.
They say they planned take food and water to the government headquarters in Tamar but only could not because Tamar was blocked by Occupiers.
Cho Wai-hing, 61, a housewife, said she came to support police and she did not find the force used on Occupiers excessive. "I experienced the riots in 1967. At that time a relative of mine was arrested and jailed even he was just walking on the street," she says.
The police supporters said they will rally again in Tsim Sha Tsui at 2pm, and Mong Kok at 4pm.
During scuffles at the Admiralty MTR, police appear to hand control over the scene to the "Blue Ribbons". A South China Morning Post reporter who tries to enter the barricaded circle where confrontations are taking place is stopped by Stanley Yeung, a retired sailor who is leading the "blue ribbons" crowd, even though a policewoman tells the reporter entry is allowed.
9.24am: A man in a dark suit arrives in Causeway Bay and shouts “Who’s in charge? at the protesters. “You are disrupting kids from going to school!” He leaves as police arrive.
Separately, engineer Sandar Lo, in his 30s, is one of the first to arrive and sit down on Yee Wo Street on Saturday. Clutching a newspaper and wearing sunglasses and hat, he says he usually comes for four to five hours to show his support for the students.
“It’s usually like this in the morning. More people will begin to file in later,” he says.
Asked whether he is worried about thugs or troublemakers coming back to disrupt the protesters as they did on Friday, he says it is as expected but he has confidence protesters will respond in a controlled and peaceful manner.
“All they want to do is provoke us. People that come out for peaceful protests should not be treated with violence.”
Lo, who has been with the students since last Saturday, says he will be here for long-haul.
9.20am: As the protest in Mong Kok enters its first weekend scuffles between the pro- and anti-Occupy camps break out and the crowd of onlookers grows.
9am: Scores of anti-Occupy protesters, wearing blue ribbons, march towards police headquarters in Admiralty after gathering in the MTR station. As they proceed, they chant “Support police!”
Some are retired policemen like Mr Tam. “I feel so upset seeing my brothers working so hard yet coming under fire. They are facing a task much harder than what I have experienced.”
He says the police use of force has not been fully understood by the people: “Protesters are ten times our number. They are layers of offence and we are just one line of defence. Of course we have to resort to other ways of defence [ousrselves] like tear gas and batons.”
As they depart the MTR station, tempers flare as the blue ribboners shout at the Occupy protesters wearing yellow ribbons.
An ambulance from the Auxiliary Medical Services arrives on Lung Wo Road and indicates its intention to enter the chief executive’s office.
“Long Hair” Leung Kwok-hung asks protesters for a pair of scissor to remove the plastic straps linking barricades, and finally removes the first set of railings while police officers remove a second tier at their cordon.
It takes six minutes for the ambulance to enter Tim Mei Avenue before it can gain access to government headquarters.
8.34am: Fewer than 40 protesters remain in Causeway Bay as a slow trickle of citizens begin to head to work. Most protesters began leaving for the day once the MTR opened.
8.23am: Captain America in Admiralty.This protester, who identifies himself only as Ken, arrives in Admiralty protected by his super-hero's shield.
"I am here to block the blue ribbon guys with this," said Ken. He also has with him plastic cords, which he plans to use as "handcuffs" to "arrest" any anti-Occupiers.
8.17am: A pedestrian (in white shirt) jeers as he complains about the inconvenience caused by the protesters to his daily life. A heated argument follows.
7.50am: Admiralty: A total of about 300 policemen - including those from the tactical unit - arrive in several coaches and police vehicles, and walked into the operation zone around the Chief Executive's office.
Some of them are carrying large bags, the contents of which are unclear.
It is believed that they are either reinforcements or taking over from their colleagues on overnight shift.
As the third batch of about 80 policemen arrived, they gave their outgoing colleagues a loud round of applause.
"Well done, brothers!" A senior inspector shouted.
"Well done, brothers!" A senior inspector shouted.
The atmosphere is relatively relaxed and the policemen were not booed, unlike their colleagues' encounter with protesters and "Long Hair" Leung Kwok-hung eight hours ago.
7.30am: Mong Kok: A newly posted summary of headlines of today's dailies and top TV news stories quickly drew attention. It was entitled "The good things done by reporters."
Ten steps away at the junction of Nathan Road and Argyle Street, 100 pedestrians and sit-in participants joined a public forum, from which could be heard regular rounds of applause.
7am: Admiralty: Volunteers at the perimeter of the occupation zone outside the Chief Executive's office were told to be on alert after two marshals suspected that a pair of middle-aged men were anti-Occupy activists.
"He was wearing a yellow ribbon, but when we stared at him, he took it off suddenly and threw it onto the ground," a marshal described.
Meanwhile, there is an oversupply of sodium chloride irrigation solution as the first aid station gathered more than 150 large bottles of the solution, used for cleaning wounds.
7am: Admiralty: A group of volunteers that helped police deliver three rounds food and water to the Government headquarters last night woke the crowd up and explained what happened.
"May I apologise – I don't represent anyone here," said Gary Yeung Gee-wang, a first-aid volunteer who helped deliver the refreshments. "But we did this on humanitarian grounds."
The group delivered three rounds of food and drinks accompanied by a chief inspector from 4am to 6am.
"There was no conflict between police and citizens. Our demand was that only one officer should come with us and that he carry no weapons. And the packing has to be transparent so nothing else is brought in. This was agreed," another volunteer said.
They bowed to the applause of protesters on Harcourt Road.
6.35am: Admiralty: Things may be calm for now, but protesters are still wary. A sign on Lung Wo Road, near a sit-in outside the Chief Executive's office, advises demonstrators what to do if they are arrested: send a text with personal particulars such as Chinese and English full name, age, sex, identity card number and phone number to the Occupy Central legal support hotline.
6.35am: Causeway Bay: It's another new day for protesters at the Causeway Bay site with volunteers distributing breakfast and others making trips to the toilet at a nearby 24-hour McDonalds.
Protesters have strengthened their defensive perimeter at the ends of Yee Wo Street overnight and have set up lookout stations - not for police, but for troublemakers and thugs. Lightly armed groups of police officers make routine patrols through the streets. Occasionally a man or woman passes through shouting obscenities at the protesters.
6.30am: Admiralty: A pair of police inspectors casually walked through the occupation zone outside the Chief Executive's office in Admiralty, examining the protesters' roadblocks and temporary shelter.
"They look suspicious, definitely plotting something," two volunteer marshals were overheard saying to each other.
Minutes later, a young man ran across the protest site. "Hey, expel the cops, two cops have intruded," he shouted.
6.20am: Mong Kok: Despite ugly scenes last night when anti-Occupy groups attacked the main protest site in Mong Kok, leading to 19 arrests, protesters have largely rebuilt the barricades and tents which were destroyed. As the sun rises over Hong Kong, around 200 remain at the junction of Nathan Road and Argyle Street.
Those occupying Mong Kok are tired and weary, after a tense night in which just a strange noise could arouse a huge reaction, as many feared that anti-Occupy groups or police would return and again attempt to clear the site.
A quick recap of the night's events. Read our full report here.
* At a 4.30am press conference, police said they made 19 arrests after violent attacks on protest sites in Mong Kok. Eight of those arrested had "triad backgrounds", said district commander Kwok Pak-chung.
* Police blamed protesters' barricades for the delay in bringing reinforcements to the Mong Kok site, after many criticised their slow response.
* Since the violence stopped and anti-Occupy groups left, protesters in Mong Kok have largely rebuilt the site and continue to occupy it on Saturday morning.
* The Hong Kong Federation of Students called off talks with Chief Secretary Carrie Lam which were expected to take place today after police and the government turned a blind eye to attacks on protesters.
* Amnesty International condemned Hong Kong police for failing to protect peaceful demonstrators. Women and girls were among those targeted by counter demonstrators, a spokeswoman said, including incidents of sexual assault, harassment and intimidation.
* The Hong Kong Journalists Association spoke out against alleged attacks on reporters by anti-Occupy mobs in Mong Kok.
http://www.scmp.com/article/1609275/live-19-arrested-18-injured-after-triads-attack-mong-kok-protest-site-friday
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