Chief secretary Carrie Lam urges people to buy in Mong Kok
Carrie Lam urges people to buy; police commissioner sounds a warning
PUBLISHED : Sunday, 21 December, 2014, 3:56am
UPDATED : Sunday, 21 December, 2014, 3:56am
Fanny W. Y. Fung and Lana Lam
Chief Secretary Carrie Lam (centre) urges people to shop in Mong Kok, following Occupy protests in the district. Photo: Jonathan Wong
Shop till you drop. Or until the cops stop you.
That first message comes from the government, keen to get the city back to its pre-Occupy days, while the second one is from the police, who say they are keeping an eye out for "shopping tours", a recent phenomenon where demonstrators continue their pro-democracy message under the guise of shopping.
Yesterday, Chief Secretary Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor urged Hongkongers to open their wallets and help local businesses at the launch of a shopping festival at the Langham Place mall in Mong Kok, just metres from where the Occupy protests filled the streets.
"Yau Tsim Mong is a popular district for citizens and tourists to shop, eat and have entertainment," she said.
"Many shops here, especially those in Mong Kok, have been affected by the Occupy movement ... I believe [this festival] can help businesses in the district."
A number of shopkeepers in Mong Kok complained of a sharp drop in profits during the civil disobedience movement that came to an end there on November 26. Shops at protest sites in Admiralty and Causeway Bay also said sales were down.
But efforts to get shoppers back to Mong Kok came with a warning from the Commissioner of Police Andy Tsang Wai-hung, who sent a stern message to anyone taking part in what have been dubbed as "shopping tours".
Since the Occupy sites were cleared, "shopping tours" have cropped up in Mong Kok, where groups of people fill the streets.
They browse, buy a few items - usually inexpensive products - and then continue walking up and down the street, often shouting out slogans such as gau wu, a Cantonese transliteration of gou wu in Putonghua, which means "to shop".
The expression gained popularity after a mainland tourist who joined an early anti-Occupy rally told a reporter she was there to shop.
Tsang said police would take action if they spotted such activities, which may be illegal.
"After we reopened the roads in Mong Kok, Admiralty and Causeway Bay, some protesters have used a so-called 'mobile occupation' tactic to conduct marches and assemblies. As we have warned at the scene and through press releases, these acts may be violating the law," Tsang said in an interview with TVB.
"Are these people really shopping? I believe citizens can tell. They don't only 'shop' but also drop coins on the ground when crossing the road and pick them up. Some stand on the street and claim they are waiting for friends or watching TV together.
"All the shops have to shut their doors when they come. All the pedestrians have to make a detour and avoid them wherever they go. Aren't these threats to public order?" said Tsang.
