New pictures have emerged showing the damage caused to Hong Kong’s parliament after hundreds of protesters stormed the building on Monday – as at least 13 people are arrested over the pro-democracy protests.
It comes as China accused Mr Hunt of living in a ‘colonial fantasy’ after he warned the vandalism caused by the demonstrators must not be used as pretext for a crackdown on ‘basic freedoms’.
Dozens of demonstrators broke through the glass of the Legislative Council, known as the LegCo building, to mark the anniversary of China’s takeover of the island territory on July 1.
The group spray-painted slogans on the walls and caused extensive damage. It wasn’t until the early hours of July 2 that police were able to regain control of the building.
Dozens of demonstrators broke through the glass of the Legislative Council, known as the Legco building, to mark the anniversary of China’s takeover of the island territory on July 1 (pictured, the damage caused)
The lobby of the parliament building is strewn with debris in the aftermath of the incident. The group spray-painted slogans on the walls and caused extensive damage (pictured)
Papers, rubbish and umbrellas – a protest symbol in Hong Kong used to ward off sun, rain and pepper spray – were strewn in lobbies and rooms
Slogans had been spray-painted on the walls in Chinese and English. ‘Destroy the Chinese Communist Party,’ read one. ‘Hong Kong is not China,’ said another
Now pictures have emerged showing the damage caused. Slogans had been spray-painted on the walls in Chinese and English. ‘Destroy the Chinese Communist Party,’ read one. ‘Hong Kong is not China,’ said another.
Papers, rubbish and umbrellas – a protest symbol in Hong Kong used to ward off sun, rain and pepper spray – were strewn in lobbies and rooms.
Parts of wooden picture frames were all that remained of portraits of legislative leaders that hung on the wall.
It comes as China’s ambassador to the UK was today summoned to the Foreign Office to explain ‘unacceptable and inaccurate’ comments from Beijing as the two countries’ war of words over the protests deepened.
Liu Xiaoming has been ordered to meet senior diplomats after criticism of Foreign Secretary and Tory leadership hopeful Jeremy Hunt over his comments on the unrest in Hong Kong.
China accused Mr Hunt of living in a ‘colonial fantasy’ after he warned the vandalism caused by pro-democracy demonstrators must not be used as pretext for a crackdown on ‘basic freedoms’.
Mr Hunt said Hong Kong authorities should not use an outbreak of vandalism in the legislative chambers by protesters on Monday night as a ‘pretext for repression’.
He said the authorities need to ‘understand the root causes of what happened, which is a deep-seated concern by people in Hong Kong that their basic freedoms are under attack’.
Other slogans spray-painted on walls included ‘Hong Kong is not China yet’, as several of the walls at the parliament building were daubed with messages
Protesters whacked away at thick glass windows until they shattered and then pried open steel security gates to get inside the building. Once there they caused extensive damage, leaving rubbish in the main chamber (pictured today)
An audio visual room at the parliament building was also damaged during the demonstrations, which saw hundreds storm the legislature building on Monday
Mr Liu had himself weighed into the furore this afternoon, saying the relationship with the UK has been damaged by the interference of the British Government in Hong Kong.
He told a press conference in London: ‘I think the relationship in a way has been damaged by the interference of the British Government in Hong Kong because, as I said, the fundamental principles guiding our two countries is mutual respect.
‘If the British Government go further it will cause further damages, so that is why I’m calling the British Government to reflect the consequences of its words and deeds with regards to Hong Kong.’
Britain handed power back to Beijing in 1997 under the 1984 UK-Chinese declaration enshrining the ‘one country, two systems’ principle of Hong Kong autonomy.
Hong Kong was meant to continue enjoying broad freedoms under the ‘one country, two systems’ approach first adopted by China in the 1980s.
But fears and frustrations over Beijing’s gradual tightening of those rules spilled over into mass demonstrations against a now-stalled draft law on Hong Kong residents’ extradition to China.
They also saw UK Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt – one of two candidates to become Britain’s next prime minister – take the global lead in condemning China’s entire approach to its ‘special administrative region’.
His comments provoked a cascade of condemnations from China that began with its foreign ministry in Beijing and continued with its embassy in London.
‘He seems to be fantasising in the faded glory of British colonialism and in the bad habit of gesticulating while looking down on other countries’ affairs,’ Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang told a regular briefing in Beijing.
‘I need to re-emphasise that Hong Kong has now returned to its motherland.’
China has accused Mr Hunt of living in a ‘colonial fantasy’ after he warned the vandalism caused by the demonstrators must not be used as pretext for a crackdown on ‘basic freedoms’
Liu Xiaoming has been ordered to meet senior diplomats after criticism of Foreign Secretary and Tory leadership hopeful Jeremy Hunt over his comments on the unrest in Hong Kong
Police in Hong Kong have now arrested at least 13 people over Monday’s pro-democracy protests.
One man is accused of storming into Hong Kong’s legislature building in a break-in involving hundreds of protesters who vandalised offices and the main chamber.
The local man surnamed Poon was arrested in Mong Kok for assaulting police, criminal destruction, misconduct in public places and forced entry of the Legislative Council Complex, police said.
The 12 others, including 11 men and one woman, were arrested in connection with a different protest that took place on Monday morning.
They face various charges including possession of offensive weapons, unlawful assembly, assaulting a police officer, obstructing a police officer and failing to carry an identity document.
Steve Vickers, a former head of criminal intelligence for the Royal Hong Kong Police, predicted a severe government crackdown that will result in long jail terms.
He said: ‘I am personally sympathetic to the great majority of the Hong Kong demonstrators and their motivation, but the hardcore elements and agitators involved are becoming increasingly desperate.
‘Their actions are counterproductive to many Hong Kong people’s genuine democratic aspirations.’
Protesters put a Hong Kong colonial flag and deface the Hong Kong logo at the Legislative Chamber after breaking in to protest against the extradition bill in Hong Kong on Monday
On Monday, hundreds of protesters stormed Hong Kong’s legislature defacing portraits of lawmakers and spray-painting pro-democracy slogans in the chamber
Protesters break the windows of the Legislative Council building on the anniversary of Hong Kong’s handover to China on Monday
A protester breaks a window of the Legislative Council in Hong Kong on Monday – Jeremy Hunt condemned violence on all side but said officials had a duty to address the people’s concerns
Police also said five men and one woman were arrested for various incidents during a public meeting on Sunday, when supporters of police staged a large rally. Some clashed with anti-government protesters and members of the news media.
They were charged with possession of offensive weapons, assault causing bodily harm, common assault and fighting in a public place.
Also on Wednesday, police said eight people had been arrested for posting personal data about police officers on the internet as massive protests against the government and police were held in recent weeks.
Officers and their family members have been threatened since their addresses and official ID card numbers were published, Superintendent Mohammed Swalikh of the Cyber Security bureau said.