Tensions are high as protesters head back to Yuen Long, where mobs armed with metal poles and batons brutally attacked passengers at a subway station last weekend.
The attackers, widely speculated to be members of organized crime groups, wore white T-shirts and attacked people dressed in black, the color of the pro-democracy and anti-bill protest. At least 45 people were injured.
Now, the protesters are heading back to the site of the attack, in a march titled: “The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.”
Police declined to grant protesters a letter of no objection for Saturday’s demonstration, meaning it will be classified as an unauthorized assembly once attendance tops 50 people.
Here’s what you need to know today:
- What’s happening: The protest, in response to last weekend’s attacks, is slated to start at 3 p.m., at the Shui Pin Tsuen playground.
- Where it’s going: The originally planned protest route takes marchers down Castle Peak Road, in the center of Yuen Long, and finish at the subway station.
- Security/police presence: Police have already begun appearing at the site of the protest, with an hour still to go before it begins. Though authorities have declared the march illegal, it is unclear what action they might take.
CNN