January 16, 2020, 12:21 PM
Anti-government protesters have criticised the British consulate in Hong Kong for inviting the police to look into the protest happening outside its building on Saturday, Jan. 11, and also for allowing a young protester to be arrested.
15-year-old protester arrested
A 15-year-old girl, dressed in dark clothing, was arrested for suspicion of criminal damage after having found to possess a can of spray adhesive in her bag, South China Morning Post (SCMP) reported.
Protesters have often used such adhesives to put up protest posters and signs.
They had reportedly headed to the consulate building instead after finding a large number of riot police present at the government headquarters area where they planned to put up a "Lennon Wall".
A protester told SCMP the protest was "very peaceful initially".
British politician raises doubts about police actions
Luke de Pulford of the British Conservative Party's Human Rights Commission has criticised the police for having breaching diplomatic norms by entering "consular property without the express invitation of the consul general", SCMP reported.
He further implied that the police had entered the compound without being invited in order to break up the "peaceful demonstrations".
Police claim checks out with U.K. Foreign Office statement
However, the police claimed that they had received a call from the diplomatic office to handle a criminal case.
Their claim was corroborated by a statement released by the United Kingdom (U.K.) Foreign Office on Tuesday, Jan. 14.
In an email response that was tweeted by New York Times reporter Ezra Cheung, the Foreign Office confirmed that the British consulate was aware of the police actions that took place outside of its building.
#BREAKING: UK Foreign Office has confirmed that its Consulate General in Hong Kong invited the police to make arrests and disperse the crowd having mustered outside the consulate on Jan 11. One 15-year-old girl was arrested then for criminal damage. #HongKongProtests #antiELAB pic.twitter.com/mQwCvqxgVc
— Ezra Cheung (@ezracheungtoto) January 14, 2020
It said in its statement that having received "online calls" for a protest taking place outside the building, it then "shared information" with the Hong Kong police of "a potential criminal act" being committed there.
The Foreign Office reiterated that the arrest was legitimate as the area of land it was made "does not carry any special status under the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations".
Protests going on outside consulate building for months
Protesters had been staging months-long demonstrations outside the British Consulate to call on the city's former colonial rulers to pressure Beijing to maintain the freedoms agreed by both in the 1997 handover.
God Save the Queen sung outside the British Consulate-General at Sunday's protest calling for the UK to take action to assist Hong Kong protesters.
— Hong Kong Free Press HKFP (@hkfp) September 15, 2019
In full: https://t.co/kmLJLFCnSX. #hongkong #hongkongprotests #antiELAB pic.twitter.com/kISGIz46RB
U.K. consulate slammed by protesters
The consulate's act of inviting the police to the site was criticised by anti-government protesters, who perceived the act as hypocrisy on the part of the British, especially since they have expressed their support for the pro-democracy protests in the past.
What a shame.. UK is concerned about freedom of speech & assembly in HK but then @UKinHongKong shared info & invited the largest gang of rioters in HK to make arrests to peaceful protesters outside the consulate.
— Joey Siu 邵嵐☘️🌻🌈 threads.net/@jooeysiiu (@jooeysiiu) January 14, 2020
Couldn’t be more disappointed.@benedictrogers @lukedepulford https://t.co/jqlJv2nZXm
They also thought the act was uncalled for as they saw the protest outside the consulate as being peaceful.
Their disappointment with the consulate also stemmed from their fear of the Hong Kong police, whom they accused of unfairly arresting protesters, and subsequently torturing them in detention centres.
Shame on UK, I am very disappoint with them, arrested by #HKpolice is very danger in HK now, UK push the girl to the hell @lukedepulford @benedictrogers pic.twitter.com/EqhrMB80WB
— Legend (@Legend_mh9) January 14, 2020
Despite its cooperation with the police in this matter, the Foreign Office reiterated in its statement the U.K.'s support for "peaceful and lawful protest", and also expressed its concern for the Hong Kong authorities' decision to deny entry to the Executive Director of Human Rights Watch, Kenneth Roth.
Top image adapted via @Legend_mh9
If you like what you read, follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Telegram to get the latest updates.