Hold tight: Hong Kong workers apply glue to pavement outside Legco ahead of senior Chinese official’s visit
Move seen as security precaution after Mong Kok protesters in February hurled bricks
How about this for a quick fix?
Government workers were busy on Friday applying glue to the pavement opposite Hong Kong’s Legislative Council compound, a move seen as part of efforts to step up security for state leader Zhang Dejiang’s visit this month.
The government employed the same tactic in Wan Chai in 2005, when the city hosted the World Trade Organisation summit, to prevent protesters, mostly South Korean farmers, from digging up bricks to throw at police.
During the Mong Kok riot in February, protesters dug up 2,000 bricks from pavements to attack police with.
Labour Party lawmaker Dr Fernando Cheung Chiu-hung called the exercise a bid by Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying’s administration to “protect the bigwigs”.
“Our government is very anxious whenever these bigwigs [visit Hong Kong],” Cheung said. “This security measure by the current administration reflects its fear and failure to communicate with Hongkongers in a calm and reasonable manner.”