Hong Kong government acts after pro-democracy group refuses to remove banners mocking Chinese President Xi Jinping from stall at Lunar New Year fair
- League of Social Democrats had been warned it was in violation of licence agreement
- Group was raising funds and collecting signatures for petition against police
Authorities demolished a pro-democracy party’s stalls at Hong Kong’s Lunar New Year market on Tuesday after it refused to remove political displays that mocked the city’s leader and President Xi Jinping.
The Food and Environmental Hygiene Department shut two booths used by the League of Social Democrats at Victoria Park on Tuesday morning, after terminating the group’s licence agreement.
This year’s agreement, which the league signed, stipulated that it would only be allowed to sell flowers and food. Selling anything other than that was strictly prohibited, according to the deal.
The league was running the stalls mostly to raise funds, to collect signatures for a petition against the police’s use of force against anti-government protesters, and to give flowers to supporters and donors.
“We asked the department if there was any way we may cooperate, but they said the licence had already been terminated,” said Avery Ng Man-yuen, the league’s chairman. “Everything in the cordoned area is already government property.”
Ng rejected the suggestion his party had breached its licence agreement, and accused the department of suppressing freedom of expression.
