HONG KONG // Hong Kong police came under renewed fire on Wednesday after plainclothes officers were filmed beating and kicking a handcuffed protester during some of the worst clashes since mass democracy rallies erupted.
The city’s security chief said the accused officers had been “removed” from their posts.
The footage from television network TVB showed a group of plainclothes officers assaulting a handcuffed and unarmed protester, sparking outrage and calls for prosecution from activists and lawmakers.
It shows six plainclothes officers hauling the man to a dark corner of a public park, and placing him on the ground.
One officer stands over the man and punches him, as three others are seen repeatedly kicking him in an assault TVB said lasted four minutes.
The assault occurred amid violent confrontations when police swooped in to clear newly erected barricades near government headquarters.
Demonstrators and police fought running battles overnight, with officers using their fists, batons and pepper spray to beat back crowds in an operation they defended as necessary to ensure public order.
Police said that 45 people were arrested in the operation, including 37 men and eight women. Four officers were also injured.
Within an hour police had regained control of the road.
Tensions have spiked in recent days as police began raiding protest sites and tearing down barricades, after more than two weeks of disruptive mass rallies calling for free elections in the former British colony.
Student leader Joshua Wong said trust between police and activists had hit an all-time low.
Amnesty International also condemned the “vicious” attack, saying: “Any investigation into this incident must be carried out promptly and all individuals involved in unlawful acts must be prosecuted.”
Hong Kong’s security chief sought to douse tensions over the video, expressing “concern” and promising a “just and fair investigation”.
“The policemen who are involved in the incident have been removed from their current working positions,” secretary for security Lai Tung-kwok.
Huge crowds have intermittently rallied against China’s insistence that it will vet candidates standing for election as the semi-autonomous city’s next leader in 2017 – a move protesters have labelled as “fake democracy”.
While the activists have been praised for their civility and organisational skills, they have also brought widespread disruption to an already densely populated city.
Patience is running short in some quarters, with shop owners and taxi drivers losing business and commuters voicing irritation at extensive disruptions on the roads and on public transport.
* Agence France-Presse