Police stand by as barricades in Argyle Street in Mong Kok are cleared. Photo: RTHK
Bailiffs clear barricades at Argyle Street protest site
Police officers were asked to intervene Tuesday by bailiffs enforcing a court order to remove barricades erected by protesters at an intersection in Mong Kok, RTHK reported.
The bailiffs and lawyer Maggie Chan Man-ki, legal counsel for Chiu Luen Public Light Bus Company, which had obtained an injunction to clear the street, arrived at the protest site at about 10 a.m.
Chan read out the court order, urging protesters not to interfere with bailiffs’ actions, or else police might step in. Protesters who obstructed the bailiffs would face contempt of court, she said.
The protesters asked the lawyer and the bailiffs to clarify which area they intend to clear according to the court injunction.
They include Yvonne Leung, a member of the Hong Kong Federation of Students, and pro-democratic lawmakers Albert Chan Wai-yip, Leung Kwok-hung and Claudia Mo.
Leung said to Maggie Chan using a megaphone: “I want to ask if Chan can show me the map first, and where we should retreat to that would not constitute ‘obstructive behavior’. Will they knock on the door first before clearing out tents?”
Chan did not answer Leung’s questions, saying instead, “You are now obstructing me.”
The bailiffs asked for police assistance around noon and agreed to give the protesters 30 minutes to pack up their belongings.
Police officers tried to approach a stack of wooden boards used as a “stage” at the protest site at around 1 p.m., but they quickly retreated after some protesters surrounded them, the report said.
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