Two arrested for violation of anti-mask law

Violence condemned after 18th chaotic weekend

One man and a woman, who were arrested for one count of violation to the Prohibition on Face Covering Regulation and one count of unlawful assembly in the early hours of Oct 5, had their cases heard in Eastern Magistracy on Monday morning.

They are the first offenders arrested and charged under the newly enacted anti-mask law, which took effect on Oct 5.

The two offenders were released on bail, but are required to submit travel documents, observe curfew order and report in person to the police station every week until their cases are heard again on Nov 18 at the Kwun Tong Magistrates' Courts.

So far the police has not disclosed number of arrests they made under the anti-mask law.

The duo's arrest came at a time when Hong Kong was crippled once again by city-wide rampage of masked mobs. They blocked roads and smashed MTR stations, vandalized banks and shops in illegal assemblies at multiple locations on Hong Kong Island and in Kowloon. The mobs set fire on the streets, hurled petrol bombs at police and attacked people who confronted them.

The Hong Kong government condemned the violence and vandalism of the masked rioters who plunged the city into its 18th straight week of chaos.

A government spokesman noted that the mask ban was aimed at preventing further violence so that peace and stability could be restored in Hong Kong. The government urged the public not to engage in potentially illegal activities.

The police issued a stern statement of condemnation against the rioters, calling their actions on Sunday "completely lawless".

By taking the law into their own hands to attack bystanders, the mobs have overstepped the bottom line of a civilized society, according to the police.

A taxi driver was dragged out from his vehicle and severely beaten by protesters until he lost consciousness. A woman, later identified as the actress Celine Ma Tai-lo, was also beaten up for allegedly filming the rioters' acts of vandalism.

The police reiterated that they would not tolerate any violence and vowed to continue to take resolute enforcement action to maintain public safety and bring all offenders to justice.

The police appealed to members of the public to report illegal acts and join hands to maintain public order.

On Monday, only half of the 94 metro stations have resumed limited service while the others have remained closed because of the damages caused by vandals, leading to the suspension of services on three subway lines.

In the mayhem on Sunday, the mobs forced entry into various subway stations where they smashed many equipment, including turn gates, ticketing machines, water sprinklers and CCTV cameras. Some protesters set fire at the entrances of some stations and threw objects on the tracks of the East Railway Line at the Kowloon Tong Station.

The MTR Corporation, owner and operator of the railway system, strongly condemned the recurrence of illegal and irresponsible acts of vandalism.