MOSCOW, September 30 (RIA Novosti) – Hong Kong authorities must free peaceful Occupy Central protesters and refrain from excessive use of force, Human Rights Watch said Tuesday.
"Officials should immediately free anyone still detained for peacefully participating in demonstrations between September 27 and 29, 2014 … Human Rights Watch is concerned about police use of force given that the protesters appeared to pose no clear or imminent threat to public safety or property," the organization said in a statement posted on its website.
According to HRW, there have been no reported instances of protesters threatening police, while police forces have used tear gas on demonstrators, presumably without giving adequate warning or time for them to disperse.
Hong Kong police have been able to handle "far larger protests without using force" in the past and the "escalation of force in response to peaceful protests brings into question Hong Kong police's independence," the organization stated.
Thousands of people have gathered on the streets of Hong Kong to take part in the Occupy Central with Love and Peace protests that began on September 26. The demonstrators are protesting against Chinese government plans to control the 2017 election in Hong Kong.
Dozens of protesters, including 17-year-old student protest leader Joshua Wong, have been detained during the demonstrations.
Hong Kong Chief Executive CY Leung stated Tuesday that "an illegal gathering" would not force Beijing to back down on political reform.
