Huge Hong Kong police operation ‘to prepare for the worst’ at three hotspots over holiday

The city’s largest Lunar New Year fair in Victoria Park is among three venues where at least 1,500 police officers will be mobilised over the holiday to guard against a repeat of last year’s Mong Kok riot, the Post has learned.

A police insider said the force had to “prepare for the worst” as it could not rule out trouble by pro-independence radicals using “guerilla tactics” after the government barred two political parties from operating stalls in the fair.

From Lunar New Year’s Eve on January 27 until the public holidays end on January 31, there will also be a strong police presence in Mong Kok, where mobs clashed with police and set fires after the festive period began last February, and Kweilin Street in Sham Shui Po – the hub of street hawkers.

One source told the Post that up to 1,200 officers, including personnel from the police tactical unit, emergency unit and plainclothes police would be on the ground to carry out surveillance and patrol around the three locations.

“Elite officers from the so-called ‘blue team’ [special tactical squad] will be among hundreds of other officers on standby to combat possible unrest,” he said.

“Although the security risk during the festive period is low, chaos could escalate quickly and we must prepare for the worst.”