Prince Edward MTR station shut down as handful of protesters gather, while Hong Kong airport operator warns crowd at bus station to leave, citing court order
- Station has become a flashpoint in protests rocking the city as people demand that rail operator release footage over August 31 police action
- Travellers’ papers checked, with express rail link closures and bag searches on buses in place at airport
A Hong Kong railway station which has become the latest flashpoint in a city bracing for its 14th straight weekend of protests has been closed down, while at the airport, crowds at the bus terminal are asked to leave under an injunction.
Shortly before 4.30pm on Saturday, 10 protesters had gathered at Prince Edward MTR station, with the rail giant announcing the site’s closure after a risk assessment. The MTR Corporation also said other stations might be closed later in the day.
Douglas Tsang Tsz-ming, 30, one of the protesters at Prince Edward, said he was there over the August 31 incident, in which police chased demonstrators into the station and went after them on trains, resulting in injuries. Protesters have accused police of indiscriminately beating commuters, while the force said its officers were targeting those who had changed out of their trademark black outfits to blend in with passengers.
Tsang said: “That’s why we call for the MTR Corp to release the CCTV tapes [at Prince Edward station] to the public to disclose the truth.”
The station’s closure on Saturday also came after four people had reportedly submitted a letter to its manager on the same matter.
Timothy Lee, a 25-year-old protester, said the MTR was a public transport system and a listed company, so it had a responsibility to release the footage.
