Two pieces of news re. Star Ferry Pier

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/6175705.stm

Clashes at HK ferry pier protest 
By Vaudine England
BBC News, Hong Kong 

 
Violent scuffles broke out after police in Hong Kong forcibly removed protesters from the demolition site of the piers of the iconic Star Ferry.

The protestors were trying to stop government contractors from demolishing the ferry pier and clock tower.

It came as the issue was being debated by Hong Kong's legislative council.

It is considering how to reach a compromise between public opinion in favour of saving the pier and the government's harbour development plans.

Some protestors had set up camp within the demolition site, while others rallied outside in the rain.

They had hoped their demands for a dialogue with the government would be met.

Complaints

Instead, the police moved in with force and violent scuffles broke out.

The protestors sat on the ground with arms linked trying to prevent a police truck from taking away one protester who had been arrested.

 
Groups of police were needed to carry away each demonstrator, several of whom were injured.

One student described how the police "surrounded us like a human chain" as anger grew throughout the day.

Members of Hong Kong's legislative council were also caught off guard.

They were debating the fate of the ferry pier, after a meeting with the government minister responsible for its demolition.

They had been promised an answer to their request for a few days' grace to discuss the pier's fate.

Now several legislators are lodging complaints about excessive use of force by the police.

Photos:

1) Protesters staged a sit-in over the planned demolition

2) Star Ferry's old piers are set to be replaced by a shopping centre 

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Hong Kong pier protesters rounded up by police

HONG KONG, Dec 13, 2006 (AFP) - A group of Hong Kong protesters was rounded up by police Wednesday after breaking into the construction site of the former Star Ferry pier, a city icon, in a bid to halt demolition work. More than a dozen protesters shouting slogans against the demolition braved heavy rain in the city's Central financial district, refusing to leave the construction site in a 24-hour standoff. They broke through a police barricade and rushed inside the cordoned-off terminal after the pier's clock face was taken down from the building's tower. The protesters were later dragged away one by one by about 40 police officers. "We want the government to promise us to stop the demolition. We believe that the government can try to make small adjustments to their plans in order to save the Star Ferry pier," said activist Loy Ho, 41. "We don't just want the Star Ferry pier to be saved for the memory's sake -- this is also important for the sustainable development here," she said. "It is important to save the remaining heritage left in the territory." Another dozen protesters were also shouting slogans outside the cordoned off-area, where more than 10 police vans were parked. The parents of one of the protesters came to the terminal in support of their 20-year-old son. "I'm really worried he'll get sick because it's been raining so much. I'm also worried that he will get hurt if he clashes with the police. He's only young," said Adonian Chan, but she gave full support to her son's action. The Secretary for Housing, Planning and Lands, Michael Suen, insisted that the pier had to be demolished. But he said the government is considering rebuilding the clock tower to the same design in a suitable location. Meanwhile, legislators are debating the future of the old pier in a hastily-arranged meeting Wednesday. The downtown home for the storied Star Ferry company for almost 50 years was closed last month amid scenes of grief and protest to make way for a six-lane highway and a new shopping centre. Its closure is part of a broader reclamation plan, which will eat up a huge chunk of a landmark harbour to build a congestion-relieving highway. Opponents said the green-painted wooden structure and its boxy clock tower should be preserved as an historical monument. They complain the plans go too far and will destroy one of the last remaining architectural reminders of the southern Chinese city's maritime history.

shw/skj HongKong-heritage-politics AFP 130832 GMT DEC 06