HK police invited for National Day celebrations in Beijing

About 10 Hong Kong police officers have been invited to join the celebrations for the 70th founding anniversary of the People's Republic of China in Beijing on Oct1, National Day.

Beijing-based Global Times said on Wednesday night that the officers, including some injured while coping with recent violent protests, were invited to attend the gala show on Oct 1, the highlight of a series of grand celebration events planned to mark the 70th anniversary.

They include an officer from the Kwai Chung Police Station surnamed Lau. Lau, known as "bald sergeant Lau Sir", has become a popular figure in the mainland after a cartoon of him holding a gun to protect his colleague amid violent attacks by protesters went viral online.

The cartoon reflects a July 30 incident, when he protected his colleague outside the police station by holding his long gun and staying on guard against hundreds of radical protesters who violently besieged the station and attacked the police.

The Hong Kong Police Force has been under great mental and physical pressure since anti-extradition bill protests broke out in the special administrative region on June 9.

More than 200 police officers have been injured while dealing with violent protesters in the past months, including one who had part of his fingertip bitten off.