The Hong Kong police force's PR chief has defended a clearance operation in Taikoo's Cityplaza mall on Sunday, saying police had to step in as the demonstration would have put shoppers at risk of coronavirus infection. Speaking on an RTHK program in the morning, chief superintendent Kwok Ka-chuen said it was clear that people had gathered for a common purpose. Kwok said the aim of the operation was to avoid unnecessary gathering during the virus pandemic, and that the demonstration would have put other people at risk of being infected. The chief superintendent said officers had only issued warnings. On Sunday evening, dozens of riot police arrived at the upscale mall to disperse a crowd of people who gathered for a "sing-with-you" protest.

Source: The Standard April 28, 2020 04:30 UTC