4th June 2023 – (Hong Kong) A dispute over the distribution of leaflets in a Tsing Yi estate led to clashes between residents and security guards on Thursday, June 1st. According to reports, a resident was prevented from distributing leaflets in the estate’s mailbox by security guards, leading to an argument that escalated into a physical altercation.
Following the incident, a resident posted on social media claiming that they were surrounded and pushed by multiple security guards, with one guard allegedly using a spray bottle filled with alcohol to attack residents. The resident also claimed that a person holding a walkie-talkie appeared to be directing the security guards’ actions.
Video footage of the incident shows a male security guard approaching a resident with a spray bottle, with a bystander asking, “What are you spraying?” The guard responds, “I’m cleaning up the garbage!” before pushing past the resident. The resident threatens to report the guard, prompting the guard to respond, “Go ahead and report me!” The guard then walks away before returning and questioning the person filming the incident, causing them to fall to the ground.
In another video, several residents can be seen questioning multiple security guards in the lobby of the building, demanding to see their identification. One guard raises his hands and says, “I haven’t done anything… Can you show me your ID if you’re a police officer?” Police officers arrived on the scene shortly after.
According to authorities, the police received a report around 9pm on 1st June that more than 10 residents were distributing leaflets related to a charity meeting in the estate but were blocked by security guards, leading to an argument. After an investigation, it was confirmed that no one was injured during the altercation and the incident was classified as a “dispute.”
The resident who posted on social media claimed that they had been promised by the estate’s security supervisor that mailbox communication was a valid means of communication. However, on the night of the incident, more than ten security guards surrounded residents in the estate, some allegedly using alcohol spray bottles to attack residents and push them, while others appeared to be directed by a person holding a walkie-talkie. Residents repeatedly asked whether the person had a valid security ID but received no response.