In response to the procession today (July 1), a government spokesman noted that the procession was conducted in a peaceful and rational manner. The Government always respects the public's freedoms and rights of assembly, procession and expression. It also understands that people have different views on Government policies. As a free and pluralistic society, Hong Kong embodies rationalism, inclusiveness, harmony and diversity. The people of Hong Kong are proud of such cores values.
"The Government clearly understands that members of the public have concerns and doubts about the proposed amendments to the Fugitive Offenders Ordinance, and has put a stop to the legislative amendment exercise. The bill will lapse after the current term of the Legislative Council ends in July next year," the spokesman said.
The spokesman reiterated that the Government had never taken a view on the nature of the confrontation on June 12. Irrespective of how an incident is defined by any person, it would not affect the Department of Justice (DoJ) in discharging its prosecutorial duties impartially.
The spokesman said that according to the press statement released by the Independent Police Complaints Council (IPCC) on June 27, the Chairman of the IPCC, Dr Anthony Francis Neoh, has "recommended to Members of the IPCC that the IPCC should proactively undertake a study of the recent Public Order Events in performance of its statutory functions. As internal consultations are still taking place and the website is being revamped to facilitate the proposed study, the IPCC aims to give a full account of what it proposes to do in the near future".
Today, some protesters confronted Police from morning until night. They charged Police cordon lines and disrupted public order, causing serious impact on public safety. This evening, some radical protesters stormed the Legislative Council Complex with extreme violence. These protesters seriously jeopardised the safety of police officers and members of the public. Such violent acts are unacceptable to society.
The HKSAR Government strongly condemns such acts, and protesters should stop violent acts immediately.
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