<![CDATA[Hong Kong's legislature stormed but police take little action in what analysts say is attempt to win back public support after outcry over crackdown on extradition bill protesters]>

As protesters stormed Hong Kong's legislative complex on Monday, police took little action in what analysts said was a change of tactics to win public support.

Police sources said the force continued with its restrained approach and did not take any clearance action while the annual July 1 march along major roads on Hong Kong Island was still going on at night to avoid affecting the majority who protested peacefully.

Around 9pm, hundreds of anti-extradition bill protesters finally broke into the legislature after many hours of attacking the public entrance and ransacked the building, including displaying the colonial Hong Kong flag in the chamber.

Despite the escalation on the 22nd anniversary of Hong Kong's return to Chinese rule, analysts believed the police continued to adopt controlled tactics with only minimal action as they sought to avoid more conflict with the public while letting people differentiate between violent protesters and peaceful ones.

Police finally strang into action shortly after midnight, with hundreds of officers moving in on the protesters from different directions. There were clashes in the streets near the legislature and police fired tear gas.

Tensions deepened at about 6pm as some protesters continued to ram the Legco building's glass doors with steel bars.

About 1,000 riot police stationed in the legislature retreated when radicals broke into the Legco complex, the Post was told.

Asked whether the size of the crowd stopped police from carrying out a clearance operation, one law enforcement source said: "Police were considering a number of factors."

Officers in riot gear stood behind glass doors and gates as protesters used metal gates, mill barriers and metal poles to smash windows and glass doors.

Officers did raise banners warning police would use force if protesters charged.

Officers pepper-sprayed protesters from inside but none came out to disperse them. The Post was told 5,000 riot police were deployed on Monday.

Protesters take on the streets on Monday. Photo: K.Y. Cheng alt=Protesters take on the streets on Monday. Photo: K.Y. Cheng

Tensions started to escalate at about 4am when a large number of protesters began to amass and dashed onto Lung Wo Road, Tim Mei Avenue and Harcourt Road in Admiralty, blocking roads and obstructing traffic with mills barriers and other items.

"At the same time, some protesters stole iron poles and bricks from a nearby construction site and guard rails from nearby roads. They also pried bricks on Lung Wo Road and transported them towards the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre," said Senior Superintendent Kelvin Kong Wing-cheung from police public relations.

At about 7.30am, thousands of protesters poured onto Harcourt Road with some charging police lines and hurling objects. Police used pepper spray to disperse the crowd with more than 200 officers from the Special Tactical Squad in a stand-off with protesters on Lung Hop Street and Lung Wo Road.

But two hours later some protesters changed tactics by splashing unidentified liquid believed to be drain cleaner at officers during violent clashes around the city's legislative and administrative centre.

Riot police officers warn protesters smashing glass doors of the Legislative Council complex. Photo: K.Y. Cheng alt=Riot police officers warn protesters smashing glass doors of the Legislative Council complex. Photo: K.Y. Cheng

Thirteen officers were taken to hospital after suffering minor injuries such as swollen and itchy skin at their arms and having breathing difficulties. They were later discharged.

At around 1pm, about 1,500 protesters gathered around the Legco building with some using a metal cart to smash the complex's glass door for about two hours. Despite condemning the violence, police did not take action.

Kong said the Organised Crime and Triad Bureau (OCTB) had taken up the cases. "For all the illegal behaviour, we will strictly follow up and investigate every suspected case," he said.

Security consultant and former police superintendent Clement Lai Ka-chi believed the force took a tolerant approach as it learned a lesson from its heavy-handed crackdown on June 12 when tear gas, rubber bullets and beanbag rounds were fired into crowds surrounding the legislature.

"I think the police have learned a lesson. Society has changed. If they overreact, they may easily cause a public backlash. They need to change their tactics to appease the public," he said.

The crackdown caused a public outcry culminating in a massive march four days later that organisers said drew nearly 2 million protesters against the now-suspended bill, which would have allowed the city to send fugitives to jurisdictions with which it did not have an extradition agreement, including mainland China.

However, Steve Vickers, CEO of risk consultant SVA and former head of the police's criminal intelligence bureau, warned that if the force did not move in a much more determined manner then matters might eventually be taken out of its hands.

"What is now happening in Legco is mob rule " not legitimate political expression," he said. "There will be damage to Hong Kong as a consequence of these global TV images."

He said the violent protesters had lost public support as they ruined the progress made by the wider peaceful movement.

Protesters remove fencing from around the Legco complex. Photo: Sam Tsang alt=Protesters remove fencing from around the Legco complex. Photo: Sam Tsang

"The flying of the colonial flag inside Legco is stupid and ignorant and deliberately calculated to inflame the central government and its supporters and to provoke some form of intervention for extra tough action on the ground," he warned.

Lai said there was a clear differentiation between peaceful protesters and rioters on Monday with the latter being a well-organised group intending to cause damage.

"I think the police have so far withheld their action because they want to have an accurate assessment of the situation and the rioters' intentions. They also want the public have a clearer picture about who the rioters are and the drastic actions they can take. Then when the police finally take action against the rioters they can easily gain the understanding of the public," he said.

"If the police take action prematurely, it may have a negative effect and cause a strong backlash from the peaceful protesters."

This article originally appeared on the South China Morning Post (SCMP).

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