29th March 2023 – (Hong Kong) On 27th March, a group of South Asian men were captured on video causing a disturbance on the streets in Sham Shui Po. Three separate videos have been circulating online showing a large group of men gathering on the streets and shouting at each other, with some using vulgar language such as “X your mother” in Cantonese. The commotion reportedly lasted until the early hours of the morning, causing disturbance to the residents in the area.
According to witnesses, the group appeared to be divided into two factions, with each side hurling insults at the other. The situation escalated further when the police arrived at the scene and attempted to apprehend some of the key individuals involved. However, instead of dispersing, the rest of the group started to surround the police car, continuing to hurl insults and causing a commotion.
The disturbance caught the attention of the residents living in the area, with some filming the incident on their mobile phones. One resident, who was speaking in Hakka, was heard commenting on the large number of police cars that were called to the scene. “It’s really serious. There are seven police cars here already, and more are coming,” she said.
The police were called to the scene at 11.05pm on 27th March after receiving reports of more than 20 non-Chinese men causing a disturbance near Shek Kip Mei Street. However, when the police arrived, they did not find anyone and classified the incident as a noise complaint.
Some of the residents who witnessed the disturbance speculated on the cause of the commotion. One resident said that she believed some of the men were intoxicated and started to cause a ruckus. She added that it was worrying to see such behaviour in the area, especially since there were South Asian men involved.
Another resident said that she was concerned about the increase in the number of South Asian men who have been causing a disturbance in the area recently. She said that while she understands that people from different cultures may have different ways of expressing themselves, it is important to respect the community and not cause disturbance late at night.
When the police arrived at the scene, they swiftly apprehended some of the key individuals involved in the disturbance. However, instead of cooperating, the rest of the group surrounded the police car and continued to hurl insults. According to residents in the area, at least 6-7 police cars arrived subsequently to provide support and to maintain order.
The police were eventually able to disperse the crowd and restore order to the area.
