Police arrest two for inciting murder of police, arson

Police have arrested two people for posting content online that incites murder of policemen and arson at police premises a day after a man stabbed a officer before stabbing himself to death.

The force also warns that advocating the public to mourn for the attacker is “no different from supporting terrorism”.

In a press conference today, police said the online posts in question were dated on July 2, a day after the police assault outside Sogo department store took place.

Officers arrested a 20-year-old woman and a 26-year-old man today. Initial investigations showed they do not know each other.

It was not specified where they made the online posts.

Police National Security Department said it has taken over investigation of the stabbing case.

Initial investigation showed it was a “lone wolf-style act of domestic terrorism”, in which the attacker was believed to be radicalized by fake information.

The department is investigating whether there was any accomplice involved, and if the attacker was incited by others to commit the crime.

Police said there are messages circulating online that encouraged citizens to pay tribute and mourn for the attacker who attempted to murder a police officer.

There were parents bringing young children to grieve for the attacker’s death, trying to glorify, romanticise, make heroic and even rationalise the blatant violence of the attacker,” police stated.

“Advocating members of the public to mourn for the attacker is no different from supporting terrorism. It will incite further hatred, divide the society and eventually breach social order and endanger public safety, threatening everyone in Hong Kong,” it stated.

Later this afternoon, police commissioner Raymond Siu Chak-yee said mourning the stabbing attacker cannot be tolerated.

Siu said the police are aware that many citizens “glorify the cold-blooded attacker” on the internet after the Causeway Bay attack on Thursday night, some also incited others to attack or even kill police officers.

“Such behaviors are absolutely against ethics, morality and humanity,” he added.

Some people were seen to lay flowers outside the Sogo department store where the attack took place to mourn the 50-year-old attacker, Leung Kin-fai, including a mother with her five-year-old daughter.

Siu said people are not allowed to mourn or to beautify the attacker.

“Such behaviors will not be allowed as they are dividing the society and inciting hatred against the police, which might affect public safety and order,” he said.

Siu also criticized parents bringing their children to mourn the attacker. “If these children disagree with their parents in the future, should they be allowed to attack their parents?” Siu said.

“I would also like to ask Hongkongers, do you wish Hong Kong to be filled with such hatred? I therefore call on the public, including the media, to condemn such behaviors,” he added.