Security guards hired by Henderson Land Development Company Limited have moved onto a piece of farmland at the Mapopo community farm in Ma Shi Po, Fanling, to clear the plot. A guard post built by the protesters has also been removed.
An injunction allowing Henderson, the landowner, to take action to repossess the 5,500 square foot parcel of land was approved by the High Court on Monday.
Villagers and protesters took over an excavator on April 26 after Henderson’s first reposition attempt failed. The two parties remained in a stand-off until Henderson announced it would pursue an injunction on Monday morning. No action was taken until Thursday.
According a Facebook post on a New Territories activism page, security guards first moved onto the land to try to take apart the protesters’ guard post at 10:48am.
“The injunction is just for show, Henderson is starting to use force! Security guards climbed into the the protesters’ guard post and tried to destroy [it]!” said the activist group, “There was also someone who tried to start up the excavator. Not long afterwards, [they] left, perhaps to discuss how to destroy [the post].”
By noon, Henderson staff had entered the farmland again and used a loudspeaker to tell protesters and villagers on the plot to leave. Security guards entered five minutes later to clear the personal belongings of protesters. They are also continuing to take apart the post.
Mapopo Community Farm said on their Facebook page: “Henderson security guards have been entering the farm land and destroying things since 10am this morning… The government should immediately retract the North East New Territories plan, cancel the policy for the 40,000 square-feet in-situ land exchange policy. Development companies should stop hoarding farmland and should release it immediately!”
