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Police will implement crowd management measures to facilitate the holding of public processions at Victoria Park, Causeway Bay tomorrow (January 1).
In December 2012, Police received notifications from seven organisations to hold public meetings and processions on Hong Kong Island on January 1, 2013. Police have initiated liaison and discussion with the organisers and issued Letters of No Objection to the seven organisers.
The procession routes concerned and places of public meetings are as follows:
- from Fire Dragon Path near Causeway Road, Tai Hang to outside Government House, Upper Albert Road, Central;
- from King¡¯s Road Playground to Drake Street;
- from Central Lawn, Victoria Park to East Wing Forecourt, Central Government Offices, Tim Mei Avenue, Central;
- from Chater Road Pedestrian Precinct, Central to outside 158A Connaught Road West, Sai Wan;
- from Chater Road Pedestrian Precinct to East Wing Forecourt, Central Government Offices, Tim Mei Avenue, Central;
- at the garden outside Central Plaza, Harbour Road, Wan Chai; and
- at Amphitheatre, Tamar Park, Central.
In addition to various public events to be held on Hong Kong Island on the New Year¡¯s Day, a Police spokesman said that the 47th Hong Kong Brands and Products Expo (Expo) was also being held at Victoria Park.
It is expected that many people will go to the vicinity for leisure and shopping on the New Year¡¯s Day, which is a public holiday. In anticipation of the large number of people in the areas, Police will implement a number of temporary traffic management and crowd control measures to facilitate the public to visit the Expo or participate in public events held in Victoria Park.
With due consideration of public safety and public order, Police have imposed a number of conditions including that the relevant organisers shall endeavour to assist Police in ensuring that participants will not set up any booths for fund-raising, hawking or promotional activities along the agreed routes and as such not to cause any unreasonable obstruction to the proceeding of the procession.
The public procession to be held in Victoria Park will be very different from similar events held in the past. The main reason is that the annual Expo is being held in Victoria Park. As such, the procession will gather at and set off from the central lawn of Victoria Park. The route will begin from South Road of Victoria Park to Basketball Court, westbound Causeway Road via Gate 15, then Irving Street, Pennington Street, Yee Wo Street, Hennessy Road, ending at Central Government Offices.
The event organisers and marshals will give assistance to Police as far as practicable. They will divide the central lawn of Victoria Park into different zones to enable participants to enter and set off from the central lawn smoothly and orderly. The procession will proceed from South Road to Basketball Court, westbound Causeway Road via Gate 15, then along the proposed route.
As Gate 14 in Hing Fat Street is one of the main accesses to Expo, Police will carry out tidal crowd management control at Victoria Park during the public meeting / procession. To minimise the inconvenience caused to people attending the Expo, when the procession passing Gate 14, Hing Fat Street to the basketball court, they may have to give way to others when such need arises and to follow Police¡¯s directions on site.
It is anticipated that large crowd will gather at Victoria Park as the Expo is being held. As such, the event organiser will be required to help Police to ensure participants not to set up any booths at the entrance, exit and main passageways in Victoria Park so as to facilitate the smooth flow of the procession and to avoid causing obstruction to members of the public.
The procession will set off at 3pm. To ensure smooth flow of participants and prevent disorder, South Road in Victoria Park will be closed 15 minutes before the departure of the procession. At that point, the public will no longer be able to get access to the central lawn via South Road.
If they wish to gain entry to Victoria Park from Causeway Bay, they should enter from Great George Street to Fountain Square, i.e. Gate 7, walk along West Road and then North Road to the central lawn. For entry from Tin Hau, access should be made via Gates 12, 13 or 14 along Hing Fat Street.
Members of the public who attend the Expo can enter the venue from inner Gloucester Road via Gates 6 and 7 in Causeway Bay. They can also enter the venue from Gate 14 in Hing Fat Street in Tin Hau.
People going to Causeway Bay and Tin Hau for shopping and leisure, participating in the procession or visiting the Expo are encouraged to use public transport, the spokesman said. They should follow the directions given by Police officers on site or event marshals and be aware of the temporary signage displayed in the vicinities. Police will make full effort to help the organiser and the public.
It is the policy of Police to help people conduct peaceful public activities and it is the duty of Police to adopt measures to ensure public safety and order. Police will cooperate with the organiser to arrange the proper crowd control in order to facilitate a smooth and orderly procession.
Police Report No. 185
Ends/Monday, December 31, 2012
Issued at HKT 14:38
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