(Phot: CGTN)
Police of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) on Friday said they've rejected a request to hold a public meeting in West Kowloon on Sunday out of safety concerns.
Senior Superintendent of Hong Kong Police's Public Relations Department Kong Wing-cheung made the remarks on Friday during a regular press conference, saying the decision was made to "prevent potential violent acts."
According to Kong, the police have issued an advisory to the residents, hoping they stay away from where the assembly is expected to take place.
The official also vowed to preserve peace and stability in the region, while denouncing those who conduct extreme acts against innocent people.
"The violence used by rioters has been escalating and has reached an alarming level," Kong said. "I must reiterate that the police condemns all forms of violence, regardless of the offenders' motives, background or political stance."
MTR back to normal in a fortnight if no more attacks: Transportation Chief
On the same day, Secretary for Transport and Housing Frank Chan said that the city's MTR service could resume normal operations if no more vandalism takes place in the railway and its facilities.
Hong Kong's metro system has been down over the past week due to damages caused by some radical protesters, including the destruction of facilities using hammers and iron rods.
According to the transportation chief, those damages will take time to fix, adding that there had been difficulties in getting a hold of components for the repairs.
"If everything remains normal, with no further attacks or damage, I would say that one or two weeks would possibly be the target [for resuming services]," he said in a radio program.
"But if stations are vandalized during the weekend, the wounds would be unable to heal."
