Ronny Tong: police have power to close Victoria Park

Executive Councillor Ronny Tong has defended the police’s right to close down much of Victoria Park to prevent unauthorised gatherings marking June 4, and said anyone who thinks the force has gone beyond its powers can challenge the decision in court.

Speaking on RTHK’s Newswrap programme on Friday, Chan was asked whether the police were justified in deploying thousands of officers to the park, which is usually the venues

“Well, I think they are entitled to do that under the Public Order Ordinance if they think there there may be people who are deliberately trying to contravene the decision of the police,” he told RTHK’s Annemarie Evans.

“I don’t know what sort of evidence they have and whether or not there are actually people planning to go to Victoria Park and if so whether they are insisting to attend a meeting which has been objected to by the police. I don’t know any of those facts.

“All I can say is that the law gives the police that power and they’re exercising it. If anyone thinks the police have wrongly exercised the power I think they can take the matter to court.”

Later in the evening, police made at least six arrests and distributed a dozen penalty notices for alleged breaches of social distancing rules as people gathered near the park, as well as in Mong Kok.

The force displayed warning signs at people chanting pro-independence slogans, which they said was a breach of the national security law. They also condemned people in Causeway Bay who threw objects into the road.