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Shutterstock/John Gomez
Pavement Missiles
Pavement stones glued down to prevent Hong Kong protesters from using them as missiles
Security measures are being stepped up ahead of a high-level Chinese visit.
PAVING STONES IN central Hong Kong have been glued down to prevent protesters from using them as missiles during a high-level Chinese visit.
Authorities are rolling out security measures, including barricades, over fears that the visit of Zhang Deijang, chair of China’s legislature, will stimulate resentment over mainland rule.
Zhang Dejiang will speak at an economic conference on Wednesday, prompting the security moves around the waterfront convention centre hosting the event.
A police source described the security moves as “counter-terrorism measures” saying that the security threat is higher than the past because “activists have become more violent”.
Some activists have voiced their fury over the security clampdowns. Sham Tsz-kit of Civil Human Rights Front said:
Keeping protesters away is ridiculous. It makes you feel like you are in North Korea. Zhang Dejiang is coming here to understand the situation in Hong Kong but now his eyesight will be completely blocked.
Hong Kong is able to act independently to some degree after being handed back to China by Britain in 1997. However, an independence movement in the semi-autonomous city has emerged in recent months and this has angered China.
Today, China expressed once again that Hong Kong “will never leave the motherland again”.
The foreign ministry spokesman Hong Lei spoke to reporters at a regular briefing. He said:
A minority of people who are calling for Hong Kong independence will never win the popularity or trust of the public.
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