| The following statement issued by the Occupy Central with Love and Peace
OCLP strongly condemns police use of extrajudicial punishment and demands investigation of use of excessive force against protesters
( October 15, 2014, Hong Kong SAR, Sri Lanka Guardian) This morning, in an attempt to forcibly disperse the crowd outside the Chief Executive's Office at Lung Wo Road and the adjacent underpass, police exercised excessive force. The most unacceptable incident was recorded by members of the media, in which several police officers took an already restrained protester to a dark corner and kicked and punched him. OCLP strongly condemns such behavior, which smacks of extrajudicial punishment and demands authorities investigate it. The public must not be left with the impression that selective law enforcement and collusion among public officers is condoned.
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| In the early hours of this morning, protester Ken Tsang was handcuffed and before being taken onto a police vehicle, was taken into a secluded corner by officers. There Tsang was pushed to the ground and subjected to barbaric and violent treatment. A lawyer is accompanying him from Wong Chuk Hang Police Training School to Ruttonjee Hospital for examination of his injuries. From the photos taken by his lawyer in the Wong Chuk Hang Police School, it can be seen that Tsang has multiple injuries, to the forehead and jaw, that he has bruising to both eyes and his neck. He also has broken skin and scratches to the neck and arms. There are also many bruises and impressions in the chest area caused by a hard round ended object. FOR MORE PHOTOS |
According to witness accounts, Lung Wo Road and the adjacent underpass was taken over by the protesters yesterday evening, (Oct 14th). By 3 am, the police declared protesters were conducting an 'unlawful assembly', and told them to peacefully and orderly disperse, otherwise force would be deployed. As the police advanced, protesters stood their ground. Some police officers apparently treated such behaviour as 'assault', forcibly subdued protesters, and sprayed pepper spray into their faces. Protesters who had indicated compliance were nevertheless dragged away roughly. One protester, whose hands were tied behind his back, was carried to a dark corner at Tamar Park by six uniformed and plain-clothed officers. He was kicked and punched, his face and eyes bruised and swollen.
The protester, Ken Tsang Kin Chiu, was at that point under constraint and was in no position to fight back, much less prevent any clearance action on the part of the police, or pose any threat. Before a court acts, any person is presumed innocent. It is absolutely wrong for law enforcement officers to mete out extrajudicial punishment against any citizen. The police officers involved are alleged to have done exactly that and should be strongly condemned.
OCLP is concerned the police are taking the line that protesters’ refusal to leave already constitutes unlawful assembly, and that this justifies dispersal action. Such reasoning, if unchallenged, may well be applied for the dispersal of peaceful protesters at Admiralty, Causeway Bay and Mong Kok. This is a violation of Chief Executive Leung Chung Ying’s earlier pledge that as long as protesters refrain from charging police formations, the police are committed to maximum tolerance, to allow protesters to gather freely. OCLP regrets the police action.
OCLP Secretariat
15 October 2014
[和平佔中秘書處新聞稿] 2014年10月15日10:20發出
佔中強烈譴責警方濫用私刑
促徹查對示威者用過度武力
警方今晨武力驅散佔領特首辦外的龍和道及對開隧道的民眾，被傳媒紀錄到有使用過度武力的情況，最令人不可接受的，是有數名警員把一名已被限制自由的示威者帶至暗處，拳打腳踢，和平佔中強烈譴責這種有濫用私刑之嫌的行為，促請當局徹查事件，以免予公眾警方執法偏頗、官官相護的印象。
和平佔中亦呼籲示威人士，必須堅守和平抗爭的精神，並且固守據點，以免給當局藉口清場。
據現場人士指出，在示威者昨(14日)晚佔據龍和道對開隧道後，警方在今(15日)天凌晨三時前，聲稱佔領者是「非法集結」，若不和平有序離開，便會武力驅散。不久便採取驅散行動，有警員在推進時視佔領者不退後為「衝擊」，以武力制服，並向有關人士臉部噴射胡椒噴霧；亦有表明不反抗的示威者被警員粗暴拖離。其間，一名已被反手綁上索帶的示威者被六名制服及便衣警員抬往添馬公園暗角，拳打腳踢，眼臉受損及腫脹。
和平佔中指出，該名示威者曾健超當時已毫無反擊能力，遑論對警員的清場行動構成阻礙或威脅，警員絕對沒有理由對他施暴。此外，任何人在被法庭裁定前均屬無罪，執法人員絕對不可對市民私下用刑，有關警務人員的做法屬有濫用私刑之嫌，應予強烈譴責。
和平佔中又憂慮，警方若單以示威者拒絕離開便可自行將有關行為定為非法集結，循而採取驅散行動，日後便可以同樣手法武力驅散現時在金鐘、銅鑼灣及旺角的和平佔領人士。有關做法，已違反特首梁振英早前的承諾：只要示威者不衝擊警方防線，警方仍然會以最大的容忍，讓示威者集結。和平佔中對警方的行動表示遺憾。
