Oct. 27 (UPI) — Pro-democracy demonstrators in Hong Kong took to the streets again on Sunday, shortly after a court enforced a ban on publishing police officers’ personal information.
The injunction, effective until Nov. 8, bans the practice of “doxxing” Hong Kong police officers by publicly posting private information such as their names and addresses online, prompting outrage and concern from legal experts who warned it could leave journalists and others vulnerable to legal risks.
Superintendent Swalikh Mohammed of the Cyber Security and Technology Crime Bureau defended the injunction as a strong deterrent that spells out the practice of doxxing which was previously undefined under the law.
“The whole purpose of the injunction is not to target journalism and genuine reporting. Journalists can continue with the usual reporting practice in Hong Kong without fear of being affected,” Mohammaed said.
Demonstrators rallied in the neighborhood of Tsim Sha Tsui on Sunday in the wake of the injunction taking effect, holding signs that read “Justice will prevail” and “Oppose the Communist Party, fight against totalitarianism.”
There was heavy police presence throughout and officers fired tear gas and pepper spray at demonstrators as Hong Kong Police said demonstrators had attacked officers with umbrellas and other “hard objects.”
Sunday’s protests took place in the same district where police last week sprayed a mosque using water cannons filled with blue dye meant to identify demonstrators, but later said the mosque was “accidentally affected.”
Police again sprayed demonstrators in the area, without the blue dye, and fired more tear gas as they moved through Tsim Sha Tsui.
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