Hong Kong protests: ban on rally marking fourth anniversary of Mong Kok riot upheld after police express fear radicals would hijack event
- Organisers had asked appeals board to review original decision to stop Sunday’s rally
- Three other events are planned for Lunar New Year holiday, including one in support of anti-government protesters
A rally scheduled to be held in Hong Kong on Sunday has been called off, after an appeals board unanimously upheld the police ban of the event, saying it could pose a serious threat to public order and safety.
The rally in Mong Kok was among a series of activities planned by internet users for the Lunar New Year holiday, which begins on Saturday, or the first day of the Year of the Rat.
In February 2016, an evening of Lunar New Year festivities in Mong Kok – full of shoppers milling around street hawkers selling fishballs and chicken drumsticks – descended into chaos that led to police firing gun shots into the air.
At least 33 people have been convicted for various offences over the disturbance, including localist leader Edward Leung Tin-kei, who was jailed for six years for rioting and assaulting a police officer.
