Beijing condemns Hong Kong airport protesters over assault on two mainlanders, compares behaviour to acts of terrorism
- Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office under the State Council, China’s cabinet, expresses ‘extreme anger’ while liaison office fires harsh rebuke
- Airport Authority meanwhile reveals details of interim injunction in wake of unprecedented violence at one of world’s busiest travel hubs
Beijing on Wednesday condemned anti-government protesters for assaulting two mainland Chinese men at Hong Kong International Airport, comparing their behaviour to acts of terrorism, while an injunction was secured to ban demonstrations in all but two designated terminal zones.
On the sixth straight day of protests that crippled flights at the transport hub and led to unprecedented violence on Tuesday night, airlines were scrambling to resume normal operations.
In the aftermath of Tuesday’s chaos, some protesters took to social media to apologise for their behaviour in the airport, admitting they had become agitated too easily and pledged to reflect on their actions, which have caused major disruption for thousands of travellers.
As of 2.30pm, 63 outbound flights and the same number of arrivals were cancelled on Wednesday, although dozens of flights managed to depart that morning.
Hong Kong's flagship carrier Cathay Pacific Airways said it had cancelled 272 flights in the past two days, affecting more than 55,000 passengers.
Xu Luying, spokeswoman for the Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office under the State Council, China’s cabinet, expressed “extreme anger” and “strongly condemned” the assaults, calling them “nearly acts of terrorism”.
