Activists deplore police chief for targeting satirical show

Members of the Labour Party and the League of Social Democrats protested outside the Police Headquarters in Wan Chai today, accusing Police Commissioner Chris Tang of launching an attack on public broadcaster RTHK and interfering with press freedom, RTHK reports.
Tang had made a complaint to the director of broadcasting over last week's episode of the satirical TV show Headliner which poked fun at the police, suggesting they were hoarding the city's limited supplies of protective gear amid the coronavirus outbreak.
Around 20 activists from the parties chanted slogans in support of RTHK and demanded Tang apologize for his action.
Disqualified lawmaker Leung Kwok-hung, who led the protest, also criticized Tang for attending a dinner party with celebrities, after a video of the event was widely shared on social media.
"We urge him to deliver an apology for his bad behavior and also condemn his collusion with entertainment artists. It's a very bad example and the police officer lost his neutral position. I think it's very bad," Leung said.
On Tuesday and Wednesday, pro-police groups held protests against RTHK, accusing the station of "smearing" the force and demanding a public apology for the TV sketch. One of the groups said the broadcaster is "rebelling against Beijing" and is more toxic than the new coronavirus.-Photo: RTHK