Hospital staff protest over doctor's arrest

Hospital staff protest over doctor's arrest

Around a hundred medical workers staged a rally at Tseung Kwan O Hospital on Monday in support of a doctor arrested at the PopCorn mall the day before.



One of the demonstrators, a nurse surnamed Cheung, said the doctor was detained after taking pictures of police officers raiding the mall and making arrests.



"Some videos show that our colleague was just taking photos from a distance. He was arrested without having attacked anyone. We want to raise everyone’s attention to the indiscriminate arrests by police," Cheung said.



Another of the demonstrators added that the doctor suffered injuries to his head, hands and legs when he was arrested and he was being treated in hospital.



A doctor surnamed Lee said he doesn't believe his colleague would have done anything to obstruct the police.



"He is definitely not one of the violent protesters. I don’t know what to say to any claim that he was joining an unlawful assembly in a mall. I don’t know what crime he could be charged with, and I am not sure whether he will be charged or not, but I think this is obviously unreasonable," Lee said.



The medical workers, many in their uniforms, put on black face masks and waved placards to show their anger over the arrest, and accused the police of brutality.



Hospital security guards cordoned off an area for the demonstration. A number of other people tried to join the medical staff but the guards refused to let them take part.