10K Officers on Patrol July 1

A previous July 1 flag-raising ceremony in Wan Chai

 

July 1 is going to be very quiet this year.

And the whole city is going to be crawling with blue uniforms.

The Hong Kong police have announced that 10,000 officers -- up from 7,000 earlier -- will be patrolling the street to ensure the city is secure and there are no signs of dissent.

Police may shut down Victoria Park like June 4

The force has even mulled shutting down Victoria Park, the usual site of where marches start from. 

"It depends on if there are online appeals for people to turn up at the Causeway Bay park to kick off the march despite the ban," a senior police source told one news outlet.

Speaking of marches, as expected the three groups that appealed to the police to re-consider their application for a protest march on July 1 was rejected.

Eddie Tse Sai-kit, a spokesperson for the League of Social Democrats, Tin Shui Wai Connection, and Save Lantau Alliance, was disappointed by the outcome.

"The government has not done well enough to contain Covid-19 and now it is making use of it as an excuse to suppress our civil rights," he said. 

The groups said they would urge people to wear black on July 1 to show their discontent with political oppression.

Some 10K officers will be working on July 1

Meanwhile another police source said the unprecedented number of officers was needed from daybreak to late at night, and would include road closures near the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre for the flag-raising ceremony in the morning.

"We have to prepare for the worst regardless of whether any intelligence has been received."

John Lee Ka-chiu who will be acting Chief Executive, does not want any trouble on his watch that day. No expenses or man power spared.