Anti-police rally planned over new year holidays

Rally organisers say police should not get any pay rises because of their alleged brutality against protesters. Photo: RTHK

The Labour Party and the League of Social Democrats are planning to hold a rally during the upcoming Lunar New Year holidays to protest against alleged police brutality in their handling of months of anti-government protests.



Organisers are hoping that thousands will turn out for the planned protest at Edinburgh Place in Central on Monday – even as the government has cancelled several major events as a health precaution as the city confirmed its first two cases of the Wuhan virus.



They say as people traditionally refrain from visiting friends and family during the third day of the new year, they should usher in the year of the rat with a protest.



Organisers also say police should not be receiving any pay rise like other civil servants because they shouldn’t be rewarded for their actions against protesters



League of Social Democrats’ Leung Kwok-hung said while the government is busy dealing with the outbreak, it cannot forget about the “man-made disaster” it has left behind.



Labour Party chairman, Steven Kwok, meanwhile, said he believes the police will approve the rally, saying both groups have lots of experience in organising peaceful rallies, and as such should be able to ensure that Monday’s protest will also be peaceful.