On Thursday afternoon, Hong Kong police held a press conference to address Wednesday’s clashes outside the Legislative Council building. Reporters turned up wearing protective gear including helmets, gas masks, and yellow reflective jackets.
The choice of wardrobe came in protest to the police’s treatment of journalists during the skirmishes. The Hong Kong Journalists Association (HKJA) says that it has gathered evidence of 17 cases of police targeting journalists in abuses of power including multiple instances in which officers fired tear gas canisters at reporters at close range.
Some #HongKong reporters, angry at police use of force, turned up to the #police commissioner’s press conference in hard hats and gas masks #protest #ExtradictionBill (photo credit EyePress Images) pic.twitter.com/tUcWKMPiht
— Nga Pham (@ngaphambbc) June 13, 2019
Top trolling from HK reporters: wearing helmets and gas masks to an indoor police press conference pic.twitter.com/ZbGPBFZnZM
— Jacky Wong (@jackycwong) June 13, 2019
Many reporters wore reflective jackets, helmets and gas masks in protest of police brutality against front line press during the Hong Kong police press conference just now. pic.twitter.com/tzC8imiA6k
— Richard Lai (@richardlai) June 13, 2019
Bravo, and solidarity with my #HongKong reporter peers who turned up at a press conference with the police chief in gear for reporting on the frontlines of unrest to protest police violence and harassment of journalists #PressFreedom #extraditionbill pic.twitter.com/VYEKDnI2PV
— Yuen Chan (@xinwenxiaojie) June 13, 2019
#HongKong reporters are wearing their hi vis jackets in protest against @hkpoliceforce’s way of treating members of the press in #antiextraditionlaw #HongKongProtest. Police chief Stephen Lo will hold a press conference shortly pic.twitter.com/dndexfehw8
— Timmy Sung (@timmysung) June 13, 2019
At the press conference, Hong Kong Police Commissioner Stephen Lo apologized for the “impolite” treatment that some reporters had received in having their bags searched but insisted that his officers would never target “our journalist friends.”
Lo estimated that around 150 rounds of tear gas were fired at protesters on Wednesday along with several rubber bullets and 20 bean bags. He referred to these as “low fatality weapons” and once again referred to the skirmishes as a “riot” in which 22 police officers had been injured.
According to Lo, 11 people have so far been arrested in connection with the clashes. They are suspected of offenses including unlawful assembly and assaulting police officers. Those who are convicted of “rioting” could face 10 years in prison.
Lo’s press conference has generated heavy criticism online, particularly for brushing off police brutality against journalists and for the clumsy way in which he tried to justify arresting protesters at hospitals where they were receiving treatment for injuries suffered during the clashes with police.
Hong Kong police chief asked the press to be understanding of why some officers taunted and attacked reporters during yesterday’s incident. Wow. pic.twitter.com/czE4j8gOw0
— Richard Lai (@richardlai) June 13, 2019
May I recap the best bit of #HongKong #police chief Stephen Lo’s presser: “I know arresting people in hospital may sound, err, err, err, err, err.
Errr….I cant find the right word….." #HongKongProtests #ExtraditionLaw pic.twitter.com/qFE2oQOYrr— Damon Pang (@damon_pang) June 13, 2019
