Pan-democratic lawmaker Alvin Yeung Ngok-kiu staged a public demonstration on Thursday by wearing a t-shirt which reads “Call me a Hongkonger” in response to an incident in which a man claimed to be politically censored for wearing the same t-shirt near Yeung’s protest site.
Two weeks ago, a man surnamed Tang was reported to have visited the Jubilee Garden estate in Shatin district to visit his friend, but alarmed the guard when registering at the estate’s atrium. Tang was later approached by two additional security guards who offered to escort him to his friend’s apartment, according to Apple Daily.
“At the time, [the security guard] pointed at me and called for reinforcement,” said Tang, whose full name is unknown. “The guard said that there was a man wearing a t-shirt that says ‘Hong Kong’ with his arms folded, and it was hard to tell what he was thinking,” he added.
Tang initially refused the guards’ offer and questioned their decision, calling it an act of political censorship. The guards said they acted in accordance with company policy.
“I did not commit any transgression, so why [did they] call for reinforcement and escort me upstairs like I did?” said Tang.
“Is it necessary to handle the situation so drastically? Do [they] see him as a terrorist?” said Yeung, who is running for the upcoming Legislative Council election.
Tang later filed a complaint to the estate manager – Goodwell Property Management Ltd. – who said that the company does not have a specific visitors’ dress code. The company added that if visitors were unable to complete registration with security before going to the apartment they are visiting, it would arrange for guards to escort visitors there to verify their identity.
The estate manager said that the security guards did not take any specific actions against Tang when he visited Jubilee Garden on July 18. It added that once Tang’s friend came downstairs to verify his identity, the two proceeded to go upstairs without being accompanied by security guards.
