Near site of Hong Kong’s anti-extradition clashes, businesses still taking a hit
- Major Admiralty mall still closed, as civil servants told to avoid government HQ
- Shopping centres became scenes of shelter for protesters during police crackdown
Business in the heart of Hong Kong was disrupted a day after protesters decrying the government’s extradition bill clashed violently with police, with an upmarket shopping centre closed and thousands of civil servants told to stay at home.
Pacific Place, a four-level mall of about 160 stores and restaurants in Admiralty, near the protest’s epicentre at the legislature and government headquarters, was closed to shoppers on Thursday morning, with plans to gradually reopen. Its hotels and two office towers were unaffected.
Access to the area was hampered after police demanded the closure of Admiralty MTR station and urged the public to avoid the area following Wednesday’s events, which the government termed a riot. The station reopened at 2.14pm and MTR services returned to normal.
After police cracked down on the throngs with tear gas and rubber bullets, groups of protesters sought refuge in Pacific Place, and the IFC Mall about 1km away in Central.
Announcing the closure, a Pacific Place spokeswoman said: “We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause our tenants and visitors; however, the safety of our staff, visitors and tenants is paramount.”
