Mom-to-be caught up in clash

A mother-to-be who fell during a clash between police and protesters in Mong Kok on Monday is in stable condition, while her husband was released on bail 20 hours after being apprehended in the commotion.

A total of 15 people were arrested and 174 were fined by police during the Monday protest marking a year since police stormed the Prince Edward MTR station.

Police said yesterday that nine men and six women between the age of 16 and 60 were arrested in Mong Kok as people began to gather at around 5.30pm.

They were arrested for unlawful assembly, assaulting a police officer, arson, possession of an imitation firearm and disorderly conduct in a public place.

One of the male suspects, surnamed Fung, is the husband of the pregnant woman who fell. He was arrested for disorderly conduct in a public place and was released from Mong Kok police station on bail at around 5pm yesterday.

Fung said his wife and the unborn baby are in stable condition, adding that they were there because he works in Mong Kok. As he was leaving work with his wife, they walked past Argyle Street near Tung Choi Street, where the incident happened.

Multiple videos from the scene showed a riot police officer grabbing Fung on Monday night, intending to arrest him.

More riot police then arrived, and his pregnant wife and others at the scene attempted to stop the police from arresting Fung.

During the commotion, the wife fell as police were using pepper spray and batons to disperse the crowd.

Both the police and Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor expressed concern for the woman, with the latter also saying at a press conference yesterday that police enforcement would not have been necessary if there had not been riots and unrest.