Thread by @KongTsungGan

Legco reopens today after being closed from Wed to Tue by protests. Near 11am start, 2 pro-democracy members will put urgent questions on @hkpoliceforce misconduct to Secretary for Security. Later, Dennis Kwok to move motion of no confidence in govt. legco.gov.hk/yr18-19/englis…

@hkpoliceforce Jeremy Tam requests that Legco begin with a moment of silence for the deceased protester. Pro-Communist Legco president says no.

@hkpoliceforce Kwok Ka-ki interrupts proceedings to accuse pro#CCP president of having no courage and hiding during protests of recent days. He asks him if he, like Carrie Lam, will apologize. 'You've made Legco unable to monitor the govt.'

@hkpoliceforce Pro#CCP president answers... hard to know what he answers... a lot of gobbledy-gook about rules of procedure (ie, he refuses to answer). He then rejects Kwok's request to ask urgent question about Hospital Authority illegally sharing information w police.

@hkpoliceforce Kwok Ka-ki persists, says Legco pres colluded w govt to fast-track extradition bill and therefore #HK ppl deserve an apology from him. Legco pres says he's already explained himself.

@hkpoliceforce Claudia Mo says Legco pres' move to ram thru extradition bill was unprecedented & lead to mass protests: Are you going to apology? Legco pres says that's not relevant.

@hkpoliceforce Charles Mok objects to Legco pres' denial of a moment of silence for deceased protester. "If you have a trace of sympathy, are you going to express it?" Kenneth Leung then asks for adjournment to observe moment of silence. The meeting is suspended for 5min.

@hkpoliceforce .@inmediahk reports Tanya Chan's come to Legco for 1st time since #UmbrellaMovement9 trial & her operation for a brain tumor. She wanted to participate in moment of silence for deceased protester, which Legco president has just denied.

@hkpoliceforce @inmediahk Au Nok-hin is now putting his urgent question about police misconduct against demonstrators on June 12. Here's the text:

@hkpoliceforce @inmediahk Now Lam Cheuk-tin asks his urgent question about police misconduct re journalists. Here's the text:

@hkpoliceforce @inmediahk Sec for Security's answer to Au Nok-hin (synopsis): Some protesters launched violent attacks. It's the duty of police to stop such behavior. It was a life-threatening situation that police responded to with aid of appropriate equipment which is non-lethal &used in other countries

@hkpoliceforce @inmediahk You can make complaints to CAPO. (My note: CAPO is a dept within HK Police Force & only investigates individual cases, not mass incidents like June 12.)

@hkpoliceforce @inmediahk Sec for Security to Lam Cheuk-tin's q (synopsis): Police have all along assisted in media reporting. Police worked in highly stressful & dangerous environment. Media practitioners must put their own safety first. We understand media concerns. 27 complaints from @HKJA_Official

@hkpoliceforce @inmediahk @HKJA_Official Au Nok-hin: Police didn't issue warning, no black flag was raised. If you fire at head and eyes, does it comply with minimum force?

@hkpoliceforce @inmediahk @HKJA_Official Sec for Security: Police cordon outside Legco was challenged, bricks, metal poles, wooden planks & mews barriers hurled at police. Police had to come up with appropriate measures for everyone's safety & did issue warnings. 'Certain equipment' is aimed at center of body.

@hkpoliceforce @inmediahk @HKJA_Official Au Nok-hin: What about the protester who had her eye injured?
Sec for Security: Police aim at center of body to stop attack. When there's chaos, when everyone is moving, well, complain to CAPO.

@hkpoliceforce @inmediahk @HKJA_Official Lam: I feel disgusted hearing that police respected press freedom. Goes over list of 27 different @HKJA_Official reports of police abuse.) Journalists were wearing easy to distinguish attire. This goes beyond lawful force. How can a complaint be lodged? Police covered their IDs.

@hkpoliceforce @inmediahk @HKJA_Official Sec for Security is asked numerous times by pro-dem Legco members to step down & take responsibility. He sidesteps request, says he's following CE who says the admin's work must continue.

@hkpoliceforce @inmediahk @HKJA_Official Tanya Chan: 3 mil people protested, CE passed buck to police commissioner who passed buck to superintendents, and now you're hear passing the buck to the CE. Step down & take responsibility.
Sec: CE already apologized. I apologize. We must keep working.

@hkpoliceforce @inmediahk @HKJA_Official Dennis Kwok: We told you clearly don't use the pretext of the Taiwan homicide case to ram this bill through. You ignored us. Don't you kow there are many citizens asking you to take responsibility? Do you believe your weak apology is acceptable to the public?

@hkpoliceforce @inmediahk @HKJA_Official Alvin Yeung: June 12 was unprecedented confrontation. Police opened fire on unarmed students. YOu created this legislation & the police who opened fire are under you. YOu shift blame to CE & frontline officers. Step down.
Sec for Security repeats same mantra: We'll carry on.

@hkpoliceforce @inmediahk @HKJA_Official Gary Fan: Carrie Lam, John Lee & Teresa Cheng rammed this through & exposed HK people to danger. 3 million protested. 1 person died. CHRF had permission to demonstrate & yet police attacked EVERYONE in Tim Mei Ave, trapped them there & repeatedly attacked them w teargas.

@hkpoliceforce @inmediahk @HKJA_Official Sec for Security: The commander in charge at the scene regarded prevailing circumstances with professional judgment. Information is fragmented. CAPO will examine evidence.

@hkpoliceforce @inmediahk @HKJA_Official My comment: It's apparent from the Secretary for Security's statements that the administration intends to entirely whitewash police's sustained, systematic, indiscriminate, disproportionate & excessive attack on all peaceful protesters on June 12. Really quite outrageous.

@hkpoliceforce @inmediahk @HKJA_Official Summary: Some pro-Communist Legco members defend police, say they've been bullied and some of their children have been bullied. Police were only doing their jobs. Protesters were violent. Etc etc

@hkpoliceforce @inmediahk @HKJA_Official Claudia Mo's showing Sec for Security vulgar statements police made to journalists, asks him how he takes this expression as a father of two children?
Sec for Security: Lodge a complaint w CAPO & IPCC. It was a chaotic situation. I hope we can understand that.

@hkpoliceforce @inmediahk @HKJA_Official The Secretary for Security refuses to engage in any substantial manner with any of the issues raised by pro-democracy members. He reads from notes, avoids eye contact, repeats the same formulaic statements over and over. Says we must understand police & allow them to do their job

@hkpoliceforce @inmediahk @HKJA_Official Cheng Chung-tai: Can you release all of those you have arrested? Especially after a protester has died.
Sec: I don't want anyone to get hurt. I'm saddened. We've apologized for this legislative exercise & will try to improve our work in future. CE wants to serve HK.

@hkpoliceforce @inmediahk @HKJA_Official Cheng: You should compensate for the loss of a life. Do justice for Mr Leung.
Sec: We don't want to see anyone hurt. If anyone is hurt by need to express one's views, we are saddened.

@hkpoliceforce @inmediahk @HKJA_Official Fernando Cheung: You're responsible for this bill & you're responsible for the police.Your officers attacked a girl who fell to the street w their batons. How can you be so shameful & just keep repeating, Complain to CAPO?Was force used appropriate?
Sec:CAPO will look at evidence

@hkpoliceforce @inmediahk @HKJA_Official Listening to Secretary for Security, I feel even more enraged than listening to Carrie Lam. They are so brazen in their refusal to accept was has occurred & take responsibility for it. This is pure stonewalling. It's excruciating to watch. What an utterly cretinous govt!

@hkpoliceforce @inmediahk @HKJA_Official Charles Mok: 2 mil people asked you to step down. These people are your bosses, not Carrie Lam. Have you ever heard of an employee refusing when a boss says step down? Do you refuse to listen to the will of the people? Why do you only speak of people's violence but not police's?

Charles Mok: A lot of people are concerned about the 32 people arrested. How many have been released? We've heard there are some university students.
Sec: Many expressed views in peaceful manner. At certain cordon lines, esp people standing at front launched attacks at police.

Sec: I'm aware police released 8 arrested persons upon investigation. Dept of Justice decided not to pursue further action. [These are the 8 arrested for 'loitering'. Does that mean all 24 others are still in prison? Can't believe he won't give info on those.]

Mok: How many people are still detained, 32-8?
Sec: I do not have the statistics on hand. I will leave it up to police.
[This is a TOTALLY unacceptable response. It's just basic info govt should freely provide.]

Kwok Ka-ki: Did you and Carrie Lam know about the police attacks on June 12 before they were carried out?
Sec: Any operations are executed by police. I did not participate in operations. Commissioner of Police & team dealt w incident according to relevant guidelines & training.

Kwok Ka-ki: You did not answer my question. Did you know about the police attack [beforehand]?
Sec repeats himself. Still refuses to directly answer the question.

Wu Chi-wai: I was at Tim Mei Ave. At that time there was distance of 50-100feet btw police & protesters. I tried to speak to commanding officer, but responsible officers wouldn't face situation, instead fired teargas in my vicinity. Was the teargas fired because necessary?

Sec: CAPO will refer to all the relevant facts of the circumstances... [blah blah blah]

Wu Chi-wai: You didn't answer my question. I had nothing in my hand, I identified myself as a Legco member & yet teargas was fired at me. Was it necessary?
Sec: CAPO will consider evidence from everyone present... [blah blah blah

Kenneth Leung: An ambulanceman in uniform wrote an article explaining that he was trying to give first aid to an injured person but police obstructed him. Did the police commit an offense?
Sec: When CAPO conducts an investigation, the evidence will be fully examined.

Leung: Will you prosecute the police officer concerned? I'm not talking about complaining to CAPO.
Sec: If anyone reports a case to the police, no matter through which channel, information provided will be followed up by the police.

Pro-Communist Legco member says he was in Legco on June 12 and saw the protesters attacking the police. 'I'd like to ask pan-democrats whether they witnessed such a scene. Police used appropriate force, had nowhere to retreat, people inside Legco had to be protected.'

[Pro-democracy Legco members really should stress that 150 rounds of teargas, rubber bullets, etc were fired at ALL demonstrators, including tens of thousands of peaceful protesters, even though only a handful of protesters charged police cordons.]

Sec for Security reiterates the new govt line (after first saying it was a 'blatant riot') that most protesters were peaceful.
[Pro-dems, go after him on that point: Why so much force against them then?]

I'm missing quite a bit now. John Lee's had the intended effect on me-just wearing me down with the sheer boredom of his existence. That we have officials like this imposed upon us by the Communist Party is a disgrace. Will let you know if anyone says anything new.

During this grilling of the Secretary of Security by the pro-democracy Legco members, all but a few of the pro-Communist Legco members are absent from the chamber. Now Priscilla Leung says she speaks for the silent majority in expressing concern about the police officers.

Now the Legco chamber is pretty much empty, with only a handful of members present. Most pro-democracy members have left. Secretary for Security is fielding 'questions' from pro-Communist members about the safety and security of police officers.

Leung Yiu-chung reads letter from a protester who was outside Citic Tower, an ad company boss. [where police trapped protesters & repeatedly fired on them w teargas.] It was only because we helped each other that there wasn't a stampede. We suffer from lingering fear, PTSD.

Sorry, have to sign off now. Legco session on-going. Pro-democracy Legco members did a good job of expressing anger & dismay many feel. Secretary for Security stonewalled.

But I think pro-dems' questions should've been more probing & incisive re discrepancy btw govt's characterization of June 12 as mostly peaceful & police's massive & overwhelming use of force to disperse all demonstrators.

I have to say that as a protester present on June 12 from 8am to 2am & as someone who has spoken with dozens of other protesters who were at different places at govt HQ that day, Secretary for Security's version of what happened doesn't appear true.

Here's my account of the June 12 protest. medium.com/@KongTsungGan/…