An in depth look into the 8.31.19 Prince Edward Station Incident

A detailed perspective into the events that occurred in Hong Kong on August 31, 2019.

Photo: AP

What is the 8.31 or Prince Edward Station incident?

The 31 August Prince Edward station incident refers to the night of August 31, 2019, when Hong Kong police indiscriminately attacked passengers who were returning home via the Prince Edward station.

On that Day

Earlier that Day

On August 31, 2019, protesters who were outside government headquarters and in the streets, demonstrated in favor of the full withdrawal of a bill that would send Hong Kong residents to mainland China to stand for trial. That night alleged protesters and passengers were returning home via the Prince Edward Station

Photo: flickr

Right before the incident

Inside the metro carriage, pro- democracy protesters quarreled with a group of anti-democracy middle-aged passengers. The protesters, who claimed that the anti- democracy passengers had attacked reporters, started to attack the passengers.Tension started to increase and the two sides eventually started fighting each other through the opened door, they threw water bottles and shielded themselves with umbrellas. Some middle-aged passengers took out metal hammers and waved them at the protesters. In response, the protesters took out the fire extinguishers from the carriages and sprayed them at the passengers, causing white smoke to fill the train. During that period of conflict, a woman outside the carriage was accused of using a mobile phone to take pictures of the protesters' faces. The protesters then tried to snatch away her phone.

Photo: Dongwang via China Times

Police entering and at the scene:

By 11 pm, nearly 100 members of the special tactic squad and riot police rushed to Platform 4, and used batons to beat all passengers and suspected protesters on sight while pepper spraying and arresting others.

The platform was very chaotic, and there were constant screams during the conflict. . Some passengers hugged and cried after being pepper sprayed by the police, while others yelled at the police not to stop hitting people.

The station was then closed, reporters were driven awaym and first-aiders were barred from assisting the injured. Some first-aiders displayed banners with the message "Obstructing rescue is a violation of International Humanitarian Law" outside the metal gate, but the police did not budge. At 11:43 in the evening, three first-aiders were on the stairs to the lobby of the station. They were asked by the riot police to face the wall and were not allowed to enter the station to treat the injured. A first responder was arrested while identifying himself.

Photo: Stand News

Photo: Strait Times

Photo: commons.wikimedia

Photo: todayonline.com

Aftermath:

Arrests

During the operation, the police arrested 69 people, aged between 13 and 36. They were suspected of participating in illegal assembly, criminal damage, and obstructing office work. Among them was a 13-year-old boy who was accused of possessing petrol bombs. 60 people refused bail pending investigation, and only one person was released on a bail pending investigation.

Photo: News.rtk

Injuries

On the morning of September 2, the Hospital Authority stated that 46 people were sent to the hospital, 19 were in the hospital, 5 were in serious conditions, and 14 were in stable conditions. According to the Ceng Chongji Facebook page, at least 10 injured were sent to the hospital on the spot during the incident. Out of those 10, 3 were injured during the fight according to reports received by the Fire Department, and therefore were not counted in the incident.

Public Statements and Media

On September 10, representatives of the Police, Fire Services Department, Hospital Authority and MTR Corporation held a joint press conference to explain the conflict at Prince Edward Station on the evening of August 31. The MTR public part of the CCTV screenshots of Prince Edward Station that night indicated that there were no death reports in the station that day. However, it refused to disclose relevant tapes on the grounds of passengers' privacy.