Airing Dirty Laundry Without Masks

Police Chief Chris Tang (in black) with Eric Tsang, Alan Tam and Jackie Chan

Hong Kong opposition lawmakers are calling for the resignation of Police Commissioner Chris Tang Ping-keung after a video was leaked of him and other senior officers having a jovial time with a number of well known local celebrities like Alan Tam Wing-lun, Jackie Chan, and Eric Tsang Chi-wai.

The video was taken on Sunday February 16 after a friendly football match and Tang jokes he learned how to be a policeman from watching police movies.

Leaked - Commissioner of Police dining with group of #Hongkong artists inc. Jackie Chan, Alan Tam and Tsang Chi-Wai and soccer players. Some were known for triad links. pic.twitter.com/WbLRMTAAEy

— Galileo Cheng (@galileocheng) February 17, 2020

 

Later Tang chides Tam, saying, "I hate you very much Alan, because my wife loves you more than she loves me. Yet there's nothing I can do because I love you too."
 Many of the celebrities in the video, Chan, Tsang and Tam in particular, are known to be pro-establishment, as they have publicly supported the police at rallies while the anti-government protests were going on last year.

Tang jokes his wife loves Tam more than him

Also attending the banquet were police public relations chiefs Kwok Ka-chuen, Kelvin Kong Wing-cheung, and former spokesman John Tse Chung-chun. In addition, disgraced former police official Frankly Chu was also at the event. He was jailed for a baton attack on an unarmed man during the 2014 Occupy protests.

Guess jail time for a disgraced policeman doesn't mean anything to the top brass?

Opposition lawmakers pounced on the video, accusing police chief Tang of being unfit to lead the police force, and with the fear of the coronavirus in Hong Kong, he ignored government appeals to avoid large gatherings. On top of that he wasn't wearing a mask -- nor was anyone else in the room for that matter.

Democratic Party legislator James To Kun-sun criticized the police officials for defying a government appeal to limit social contact, and said Tang is a bad role model in preventing the coronavirus from spreading in the community.

Lawmaker James To calls for Tang's resignation

He noted that a number of people had been infected by the virus after a hot pot gathering, and if these police officials were infected, they could have passed it onto other government officials as they have been meeting frequently on how to deal with the crisis, thus possibly paralyzing the operations of the entire government.

In the video, Tang also says he learned from Jackie Chan and Alex Fong Chung-sun movies how to behave like a policeman.

Civic Party lawmaker Dennis Kwok Wing-hang who represents the legal sector, slammed Tang's "shoe-shining" remarks as inappropriate and that he's not fit to be the police chief. 

Frankly Chu (second left) was jailed for hitting an unarmed man

While a police spokesman says the dinner was private and did not involve public funds, for viewers of the video it's pretty damning evidence of how close the entertainment industry is with the police. And in light of the coronavirus crisis, to see so many people gathered and not concerned about possibly spreading the virus is just as shocking...

Police Supporters Lash Out

 

Thousands came out with blue signs in support of the Hong Kong police

Today people in support of the Hong Kong police force came out to Tamar for a rally, with organizers saying 165,000 attended. Many were middle-aged and elderly, holding placards that read, "we support HK police" and chanted slogans.

The rally, organized by pro-Beijing lawmaker Junius Ho Kwan-yiu, had some star power attached, with actors Tony Leung Ka-fai, Philip Chan Yan-kin and singer Alan Tam Wing-lun on stage. Guess they have lost some fans for good now.

Tony Leung Ka-fai and Philip Chan Yan-kin at the rally

Also making speeches were former police chief Tang King-shing and Basic Law vice-chairwoman Maria Tam Wai-chu.

Speaking onstage, Tang said he was "disheartened that Hong Kong police, which are the best in Asia, had their efforts completely disregarded".

"Over the past few weeks, Hong Kong police, working in extremely difficult environments and facing investigation, still remain very tolerant," Tang said.

He led the crowds in shouting" "Sir, madam, we support you! Sir, madam, thank you!"

However, this was far from a peaceful rally. Supporters for the police harassed reporters and anyone dressed in black, assuming they were an anti-extradition bill protester. Some people were manhandled and/or had abuse shouted at them. The police had to intervene.

Police supporters seen ripping signs off "Lennon Wall"

Tensions surged higher when police supporters went around, tearing down posters that protesters had put up, ripping up messages of support that were posted on "Lennon Wall", a concrete stairwell area that had been the site of many messages in 2014.

This led to more shouting matches. One Caucasian man confronted a middle-aged woman for desecrating a memorial for one protester who fell to his death on June 15 at Pacific Place. She ignored him and then turned around saying as a Hong Kong person he should speak Cantonese. He replied English is also an official language in the city.

Others desecrate a memorial

Hong Kong seems more divided than ever -- and the government has already picked sides.

If anything today's event has only inspired more people to come out tomorrow for the annual July 1 march. Perhaps this is the government's bizarre way of getting people to do more physical exercise?