A protester uses a laser pointer as others gather in Causeway Bay in Hong Kong on August 4, 2019. – Riot police fired tear gas on August 4 at protesters on Hong Kong’s main island, the second consecutive night of unrest in a territory battered by weeks of anti-government rallies. (Photo by Philip FONG / AFP)
MANILA, Philippines — Filipinos in Hong Kong have been advised against wearing black or white shirts as they might be mistaken as participants of the ongoing intense protests in China’s special administrative region.
“Kung pwede ‘wag magsuot ng itim or puti, kasi ito po ang ginagamit nilang kulay sa protesta. So ito pong nahuli nating kababayan eh nagkataong naka-itim siyang t-shirt,” Deputy Consul General Germinia Aguilar-Usudan of the Philippine Consulate in Hong Kong said in an interview with dzMM on Monday.
She was referring to a Filipino who was arrested for allegedly participating in a protest over the weekend at North Point district.
However, the Filipino, who is working as dancer at Hong Kong Disneyland, denied involvement in the demonstration, saying he was just out to buy food when the police chase of protesters happened.
Usudan further reminded the Filipinos in Hong Kong to also avoid areas where rallies are taking place or may occur.
“Ang aming advice sa ating mga kababayang Pilipino dito, iwasan na lang ang mga lugar kung saan ang mga rallies. Kasi naglabas po kami ng advisory, may mga schedule kung saang lugar magra-rally kasi po dito [sa Hong Kong] may permit ang kanilang rallies so alam namin more or less kung saan magra-rally [at] anong araw,” she said.
“So sinasabihan natin ang ating mga kababayan na huwag pupunta do’n sa mga lugar na ‘yon, iwasan kung maaari,” she added.
Over the past two months, the streets of Hong Kong have been wrought with massive protests mainly calling for the total withdrawal of the extradition bill being pushed by Beijing.
READ: Protesters, police play cat-and-mouse game across Hong Kong
READ: Hong Kong protesters move to luxury shopping district
Hong Kong authorities have arrested more than 20 people for unlawful assembly and assault following confrontations between protesters and law enforcement authorities.
READ: Hong Kong police arrest over 20 protesters in new scuffles
/kga
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