STATEMENT ON THE INCIDENT OF THE ARREST OF PROTESTERS AT THE CAR PARK OF HOLY CROSS CHURCH, SHAUKIWAN
Violence broke out between the police and the protesters during the demonstration at Sai Wan Ho this morning. At noon, some of the protesters pursued by the police fled to the car park of Holy Cross Church, a church under our diocese, at Yiu Hing Road. There they were promptly arrested by the police who were running after them.
On learning the above incident, Deacon Simon Chan, a staff of Holy Cross Church, hurried to the car park from his office at another floor, to see what actually happened. On his arrival, however, those protesters were already under arrest and shortly later they were escorted to the police car and taken away. Therefore, it was in fact not Deacon Simon Chan himself who allowed the police to enter the church compound.
Some of the people present queried why the church permitted the police to enter so as to arrest the protesters. It has to be pointed out that churches today are different from those in the past: today, there is no way for a church to guarantee that those who enter it will not be arrested according to the law. We deeply regret that the above incident has taken place.
It is our earnest hope that the current turmoil in Hong Kong will come to an end and that the local situation will be back to normal as soon as possible.
