Police put on standby near Legco on Wednesday
Tsang Yok-sing said police officers will only intervene if there's a serious threat to security. File Photo: RTHK
The president of the Legislative Council, Tsang Yok-sing, said police officers would be on standby near the Legco building during the council meeting on Wednesday.
Lawmakers are scheduled to discuss the controversial Copyright Amendment Bill after their meeting last week was adjourned due to a lack of quorum. People opposing the bill are expected to protest outside the council building.
Tsang says the autonomy of the legislature will not be compromised as police officers will only intervene if there is a serious threat to security.
There are concerns over the council's security following a small explosion and fire in a bin outside the council building last Wednesday night. Security camera footage showed two masked men throwing objects into the bin after setting them alight.
Meanwhile, Chief Executive CY Leung has expressed hope that lawmakers can speed up discussions on the Copyright Amendment Bill, so it can be put to a vote as soon as possible.
But Civic Party leader Alan Leong says he wants the administration to shelve the bill for now. "The concerns and anxieties of Hong Kong over this bill are so grave that if you really want to bulldoze it through the Legislative Council, the CY Leung administration will not find it very pleasant," he said. "Different political parties, including pro-establishment parties, already sounded out their reservations. Some actually openly called for a deferment of the second reading, so as to allow more time for the public consultations that the government says it wants to see done."
______________________________
Last updated: 2015-12-15 HKT 16:30
http://news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/component/k2/1229750-20151215.htm
