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Demonstrators accuse anti-parallel trade 'rioters' of damaging economy
PUBLISHED : Sunday, 15 March, 2015, 3:01pm
UPDATED : Sunday, 15 March, 2015, 3:04pm
Ernest Kao
Protesters called out radical activist group Civic Passion and its leader Wong Yeung-tat for inciting the protests. Photo: Robert Ng
About 100 demonstrators, some wearing 'support CY' t-shirts, others waving national flags, marched from Chater Garden to government headquarters in Tamar on Sunday to protest violence by activists and pro-independence groups recent during anti-parallel trading protests.
"Parallel trading is a problem but it is not serious enough that you must hurt other people," said Jackson Kwan, a spokesman for an anti-Occupy Central group and a co-organiser of Sunday's rally.
"There's no law in place saying you can't buy more than three bags of diapers. There's no law saying you can't buy more than three cans of milk formula. This affects our economy."
The protesters called out radical activist group Civic Passion and its leader Wong Yeung-tat for inciting the anti-mainland demonstrations. They also held a symbolic eating of hotdogs - a Chinese nickname given to followers of Yeung - to express their disapproval.
They claimed the anti-parallel trader protesters were "rioters" who had gone so far as to hurt innocent bystanders including the elderly.
"We are against all violence...this is a civilised society," said Kwan.
Tam Tak-shing, who claims to be a North District resident, said parallel trading problems were a small inconvenience to pay for the economies of communities to be stimulated.
"They are using parallel goods trading problem to damage mainland-Hong Kong relations ... and promote independence," said protester Tam Tak-shing.
The group ended the protest by handing a letter of support to the police.
A member of Civic Passion at an anti-parallel trading protest in the Yuen Long district of Hong Kong on March 1, 2015. File photo: AFP
