At least 45 people were injured in an unprecedented late-night violence at a Hong Kong railway station on Sunday, as a rampaging mob of men in white T-shirts attacked black-clad protesters and passengers indiscriminately.
No police officer was in sight as dozens of men, who witnesses suggested were triad gangsters, stormed into Yuen Long MTR station at around midnight by forcing open closed entrances. They hurled objects at protesters and travellers alike, and assaulted members of the public, including journalists.
Some people protected themselves with umbrellas, while others tried to fight back by hurling helmets at them, SCMT reported. By the time riot police arrived, local residents were furious and accused them of deliberately letting the assailants run wild.
By 0230 hrs, at least 45 people had been sent to one of three nearby hospitals or had sought treatment there themselves, according to the Hospital Authority.
Trains had been bypassing the station since 11pm because of a previous rampage by the same or similar mob of men in white T-shirts attacking protesters returning from another anti-government mass march opposing the now-suspended extradition bill in the heart of the city’s financial district.
While protesters in Wan Chai, Central and Sheung Wan were facing off with riot police, at around 2230 hrs, the attackers ran onto trains, using rods to attack passengers and chase after anyone wearing black, witnesses said.
The government condemned the attacks in statement released after midnight.
The statement said, “In Yuen Long, some people congregated at the platforms of the MTR station and train compartments, attacking commuters. It led to confrontations and injuries. This is absolutely unacceptable to Hong Kong as a society that observes the rule of law. The [government] strongly condemns any violence and will seriously take enforcement actions.”
Stunning video clips circulating online and played on television screens captured the chaos and terror as passengers scrambled for cover.
Among the injured was opposition lawmaker Lam Cheuk-ting, who was bleeding from his face, and a female reporter with injuries on her arm.
Police officers, who arrived at the station at 2315 hrs, when the mob was gone, were surrounded by dozens of angry residents and protesters.
In an early morning press conference, police officials said they saw no steel rods in the village and noticed nothing criminal.
‘We have not made any arrests because we can’t be sure of those involved,’ said Yau Nai-keung, assistant commander of Yuen Long District. ‘Even those dressed in white, that doesn’t mean they are involved in the brawl. We will handle each case fairly – no matter the political camp [a suspect] belongs to.”
The police also said that they were investigating acts of violence that occurred during the protest rallies in the city .
According to the police, some protesters broke through the police cordon in the Sheung Wan district on Sunday, after which they started setting fires and throwing bricks, smoke pellets and Molotov cocktails at the police, having injured several officers. Unknown suspects also attacked passengers at the Yuen Long subway station, the police noted.
“Police strongly condemn the violent incidents happened in Sheung Wan and Yuen Long respectively last night (July 21) … Police do not tolerate any violent behaviours. Police are now actively following up the two incidents in order to bring the offenders to justice,” the police said in a statement.
Mass rallies erupted in Hong Kong in early June as the authorities were considering adopting a bill that would allow the autonomous Chinese city to extradite suspects to jurisdictions with which it did not have an extradition agreement, including mainland China.
Pressured by the protests, the government indefinitely suspended the bill, while Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam issued a public apology. However, the protesters still demand the complete withdrawal of the extradition amendments.
