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Protesters and police in tense new stand-off at site of PLA dock on Hong Kong harbourfront

  • Lawmakers and conservation group challenge officers guarding 150-metre strip of land alongside Victoria Harbour
  • Clash comes hours after riot police clear hundreds of protesters from site

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Lawmakers Eddie Chu (front), and Fernando Cheung, along with members from the Protect the Harbourfront Alliance concern group try to enter the PLA site. Photo: Winson Wong
Several lawmakers and a group of conservationists were barred from entering a Central harbourfront site on Saturday morning, some 11 hours after riot police cleared a site that now belongs to the People’s Liberation Army.
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Opposition lawmakers Eddie Chu Hoi-dick, Ted Hui Chi-fung, and Fernando Cheung Chiu-hung, along with a handful of members from the Protect the Harbourfront Alliance concern group, were kept outside a fence as about 30 police officers stood guard at the 0.3-hectare strip.

“Return the harbourfront to the Hong Kong people! No PLA pier!” the group chanted.

The group was protesting against the government’s move to hand over the prime 150-metre stretch of land to the PLA Hong Kong Garrison.

Police stand guard next to new fencing on the site at the harbourfront in Central. Photo: Winson Wong
Police stand guard next to new fencing on the site at the harbourfront in Central. Photo: Winson Wong
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Late Friday night, Chu had led a small group of protesters to occupy the strip, climbing over the fence to hang banners as part of the latest protest, which followed on the heels of a series of rallies against the extradition bill over the past few weeks.

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