Riot Police described journalist from the Stand News as “cockroach” and intentionally pepper-sprayed him
It was already eight months since the indiscriminate attack at Yuen Long Station last year on the 21st July. At 7pm on the 21st March, people started gathering at Yuen Long Main Road (Castle Peak Road). Thereafter some protesters blocked Hop Yick Road and threw Molotov cocktails. Riot police officers arrived on scene and dispersed the crowd using tear gas. Although police Chief Chris Tang Ping-keung denied any hostility towards journalists in a press interview earlier this day, riot police fired pepper-spray at many journalists, who were easily recognizable since they were all wearing fluorescent vests. Journalists from different local media including the Stand News, i-Cable News, Apple Daily, PSHK and CUHK Campus Radio, along with several lawmakers, were sprayed.
It can be seen from the footage that several officers fired pepper-spray at the journalist from the Stand News. The operational call sign of one of these officers was “NTN T2-2 2/7”.
Tang denied hostility towards the media, then riot police pepper-sprayed journalists on the same day.
During police crackdown in Yuen Long, riot police officers fired pepper spray at people and journalists on the scene without any prior warning. There were neither body contacts nor clashes with police officers. Several journalists were hit, including those from the Stand News, i-Cable News, Apple Daily, PSHK and CUHK Campus Radio. Several lawmakers, including Ted Hui Chi-fung, Roy Kwong Chun-yu and Andrew Wan Siu-kin, were also hit. Police officers even fired pepper-spray at point-blank range twice at a journalist from the Stand News.
Stand News journalist was sprayed twice despite absence of any physical clashes.
Crew members from the Stand News viewed the live footage and found that the journalist did not have any physical contact with the riot police officers. Nonetheless police officers suddenly fired pepper spray at him at point-blank range without giving any warning. According to that Stand News journalist, Democratic Party lawmaker Ted Hui Chi-fung was reasoning with police officers in the middle of Yau San Street at 9pm. He then heard an officer nearby fired pepper spray at journalists and therefore asked the officers why they sprayed the journalists. An officer suddenly fired pepper spray at him and clearly moved his pepper spray can horizontally and sprayed the Stand News journalist.
Later at 11pm, protesters blocked Yau San Street again. The Stand News journalist was filming 20m in front of riot police defense line. Riot police then pushed forward and ordered journalists to leave quickly, at the same time calling them “cockroaches”. The Stand News journalist asked them the reason for calling them “cockroaches” and wanted to obtain the operational call sign of the police officer saying that. Another police officer told him to get back to the pavement and smacked him on his face with a pepper spray can. The journalist obeyed, returned to the pavement and continued reasoning with the police. However an officer suddenly put on a mask and fired pepper spray at him without warning as he was turning around to leave. That officer’s operational call sign is “NTN T2-2 2/7”.
Section 39 of the Offences against the Person Ordinance (Cap. 212)：
Assault occasioning actual bodily harm
Any person who is convicted of an assault occasioning actual bodily harm shall be guilty of an offence triable upon indictment, and shall be liable to imprisonment for 3 years.
Order 39-05 of the Police General Order：
All officers at the scene of an incident shall:-
(a) facilitate the work of the news media as much as possible and accord media representatives consideration and courtesy; and
(b) not block camera lenses.
Reg. 3(2)(k), Part I of the Police (Discipline) Regulations (Cap. 232A)
The offences against discipline are—
…
(k)unlawful or unnecessary exercise of authority resulting in loss or injury to any other person or to the Government;
Related incident: 21st March, Yuen Long, 8 months after the “721 Yuen Long Attack”
Editorial Board, CityU SU（Video）
The Stand News（Report）