Pro-police protesters clash with rival group in rally sparked by teacher video
Rally sparked by video of teacher shouting abuse at officers escalates into political row
Scuffles broke out between hundreds of supporters of an outspoken teacher and her detractors in Mong Kok yesterday as both sides staged political rallies that erupted into chaos.
The protests were triggered by an online video of Alpais Lam Wai-sze, a primary school teacher at Pui Ling School of the Precious Blood in Fanling, in which she is seen shouting at police officers over their handling of a dispute between the Falun Gong and the Youth Care Association.
Yesterday's rallies escalated into a political row with some protesters storming a stage set up for a pro-police rally and waving the colonial Hong Kong flag, as well as Taiwanese, Tibetan and British flags. They also chanted slogans in support of Lam.
The pro-police rally was delayed by about half an hour and only managed to start with the help of officers who built a human chain to separate supporters and their opposition.
The organisers, the Parents' Association of Hong Kong and Hong Kong Action - who were protesting against the teacher - said the rally was to "support police to enforce laws strictly" and to keep "obscenity culture away from schools".
Leticia Lee See-yin of the Parents' Association said they were not attacking Lam personally. "We aren't against her [Lam] ... I think she lost her emotions [when shouting at officers]."
Gregory Lau Tat-keung, a former superintendent of Sham Shui Po district, said on stage: "Tolerant officers does not mean weak officers."
