Funds for 'brutality' ads swiftly pile up
Top News | Jane Cheung 13 Aug 2019
Jane Cheung
A fresh crowdfunding initiative raised US$2 million (HK$15.6 million) within two hours for advertisements in overseas newspapers over "police brutality." The amount is double the original goal.
The "Freedom Hong Kong" campaign was organized by a group of web users on the online forum Lihkg, who also raised HK$6.7 million in June for adverts in international newspapers appealing for G20 world leaders' intervention.
The group said yesterday it would raise funds for adverts on Saturday or Sunday to "tell the world about police brutality" and set the target at US$1 million. It said police treated protesters in an inhumane manner that is intolerable in a civilized society.
"The level of police violence on Sunday, including firing tear gas inside MTR stations, shooting at protesters from a short distance - within five meters - and [allegedly] shooting the head of a female protester has reached the extent of a terrorist attack," it said.
The group seeks to organize assemblies or even protests in cities around the world on August 31 to pressure parliaments of different countries to "sanction Hong Kong officials" - without specifying how.
The group said the excess in funding will be donated to charities.
Several hundred protesters surrounded police headquarters in Wan Chai last night.
They handed a letter protesting police action on Sunday and occupied a section of Arsenal Road.
Separately, a group of front-line medical workers called for an indefinite strike and asked the government to respond to the five demands of protesters.
A spokeswoman of the group said she had yet to confirm the number of people who joined the strike yesterday, adding that a press conference with representatives from other industries will be held today or later this week to announce more details.
More than 100 doctors and nurses held assemblies at the Pamela Youde Nethersole Eastern Hospital in Chai Wan and Princess Margaret Hospital in Kwai Chung.
A similar assembly will be held at the Prince of Wales Hospital in Sha Tin today.
Meanwhile, a new round of disobedience behavior on the MTR, which was scheduled for yesterday, is rescheduled to start today. Lasting till Friday, the disobedience is aimed at train operations at Lai King, Kowloon Tong and North Point stations.
jane.cheung@singtaonewscorp.com
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