A battle for the streets: clashes between Occupy activists and opponents intensify
Hundreds of Occupy Central opponents converged on Admiralty at yesterday in what appeared to be a well-orchestrated operation to remove barriers that had paralysed traffic for over two weeks.
Hundreds of Occupy Central opponents converged on Admiralty at around lunchtime yesterday in what appeared to be a well-orchestrated and carefully timed operation to remove road barriers that had paralysed traffic for more than two weeks.
Tense confrontations and scuffles with Occupy protesters ensued, and at least 22 people were arrested.
The chaotic scenes were the first to break out at the Admiralty protest site since police backed down after using tear gas to clear the sit-in on September 28.
A police source said initial investigations indicated the activists were from the transport industry and included taxi and minibus drivers.
Eddie Ng Yip-pui, director of the Taxi Drivers and Operators Association, admitted the association had mobilised about 200 taxi drivers and their relatives to disturb the Admiralty sit-in.
Ng said they wanted to express their grievances about business losses caused by the occupation. He denied they were paid, contrary to a media report that accused the cabbies of receiving HK$2,000 each to protest.
