Hong Kong protests: Triad-linked arrests over mob attacks
Some of the men, aged 24 to 54, have triad backgrounds, while others are drivers, hawkers, renovation workers or unemployed.
Tuesday 23 July 2019 09:56, UK
Six men, some with Triad connections, have been arrested following violent attacks on pro-democracy protesters in Hong Kong.
A police spokesperson said the men were aged 24 to 54, and several had triad backgrounds, while others were drivers, hawkers, renovation workers or unemployed.
Triads are organised criminal networks operating and are also known as the Chinese mafia. They usually run protection rackets, prostitution and low-level drug supply.
They were held for unlawful assembly after a mob rampaged through a station using batons to hit people leaving a pro-democracy demonstration.
Video of the attacks has been published and the spokesperson said more arrests are expected.
Forty-five people were injured after a group of more than 100 masked men attacked residents, journalists, passengers and passers-by at a subway station in the Yuen Long district in northern Hong Kong on Sunday night.
Police arrested the men at their homes in the Yuen Long and Tin Shui Wai areas.
Protesters have previously accused police of delaying their arrival and condoning the actions of the mob.
Shops and bank branches in several New Territories districts closed early on Monday, and few pedestrians were seen on the streets amid rumours of further organised violence.
Police patrols in Yuen Long were increased, while civilians organised patrol groups at Sha Tin's New Town Plaza.
Government leisure and cultural facilities in Yuen Long, including a swimming pool and several sports arenas, also closed early at 7pm.
Students based in the New Territories who feared returning home were given beds at the Chinese University of Hong Kong and the Student Union of the University of Hong Kong.
The men involved in the latest bloody violence wore white T-shirts and included members of the notorious 14K and Wo Shing Wo triad gangs, the South China Morning Post reported.
Mass demonstrations began last month in opposition to a contentious extradition bill that would have allowed Hong Kong residents to stand trial in mainland China.
Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam has declared the bill dead, but some protesters are also calling for her to resign amid growing concerns about the steady erosion of civil rights.
The demonstrations have since escalated into calls for democratic reforms and an investigation into alleged police brutality.