Two restaurants seen to be supportive of Hong Kong’s pro-democracy movement were vandalised on Saturday.
Man Wah Restaurant in Wan Chai reported that seven men, who were wielding hammers and dressed in black, entered the premises and broke the glass door, TV monitors and other furniture.
Police said that the assailants also wounded a 33-year-old male employee in his waist and leg. The restaurant proprietor told Ming Pao that she believed the incident to be related to political views, though did not rule out the possibility of a financial dispute.
CCTV footage showed that the incident lasted around 20 seconds, and one of the assailants attacked a man working at the cash register with a hammer.
Man Wah Restaurant is considered to be a “yellow shop” – the nickname for businesses that have expressed support for the protest movement. The restaurant’s interior was decorated with flyers supporting the cause, and two Pepe the frog protest mascots were also prominently placed.
Yuen Long incident
Separately, the Water Gate Chicken Rice store in Yuen Long was also vandalised on Saturday night. Three masked men wearing baseball caps stormed into the premises at around 10pm, smashing a glass door and TV monitors.
The restaurant later condemned the incident in a statement, saying that many customers and employees felt threatened. No injuries were reported in connection to the Yuen Long incident.
“We apologise to all affected customers, but the incident has already caused mental trauma for the children present, who were just five to six years old. [The restaurant owner] expresses deep sadness and anger,” the statement read.
“We will not bow down to evil forces, and we will continue to stand by our beliefs to support Hongkongers!”
Water Gate Chicken Rice is considered to pro-democracy after its proprietor donated to Spark Alliance and joined earlier citywide strikes. One of its stores was also reportedly vandalised in November.
Police said the Wan Chai case was categorised as criminal damage and assault occasioning actual bodily harm. The Yuen Long case was categorised as criminal assault. Investigations for both cases are ongoing, the force said.
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