'Furious' HKJA condemns new police attacks on media

Police fired pepper spray at a reporter and beat him with batons in Mong Kok on Sunday night. Photo: RTHK

The Hong Kong Journalists Association (HKJA) says it is furious to see fresh police violence against media workers covering the city's ongoing unrest, with two reporters injured on Sunday night.



A reporter from Wong Yuk-man's Mad Dog Daily was pepper sprayed and hit with batons as police clashed with a late night crowd of protesters in Mong Kok, while a student reporter from Baptist University was hit in the face by a tear gas canister.



The Mad Dog Daily reporter had reportedly argued with officers who asked him to move further away, saying he was already standing on the pavement.



The HKJA urged the police to address the issue of officers targeting the media during protest dispersal operations as soon as possible.



It noted that it had repeatedly asked the police to stop their arbitrary use of force against journalists and their unreasonable efforts to obstruct the media from carrying out their duties, but there had been no improvement.



Meanwhile, Democratic Party lawmaker Lam Cheuk-ting said there was no justification for police beating anyone with batons unless the officers are being violently attacked.



"The police officers obviously disregarded guidelines to abuse their power and I strongly condemn the brutality of the officers," Lam said.



He added that the police must stop harbouring officers who break the law.