A shopping mall in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) on Saturday announced it was regretful that SAR police entered the mall and used its bathrooms and claimed, "the police made some customers and merchants feel uneasy". The announcement triggered widespread debate among Chinese netizens.

Representatives from Discovery Park mall in HKSAR's Tsuen Wan District posted a notice on Facebook that said they regretted police officers used their toilets without first informing the mall.

Although police officers left the mall within minutes after using the facilities, their sudden entrance worried shoppers, the Facebook notice said. 

A mall employee surnamed Lin told the Global Times that mall representatives posted the online notice after receiving complaints once police officers entered the mall.

Lin explained the "regret" was based on failing to locate the police before the situation made customers uneasy. 

Photos of the notice went viral on Chinese social media, triggering anger among many netizens. 

"The police are fighting against the riots and mobs to protect the safety and stability of the city. Why wouldn't the mall let these heroes use the bathroom?" one netizen questioned.

Some sympathized with the mall and understood that shoppers might feel scared without knowing what happened when seeing police officers suddenly enter the building. 

While others agreed it was the riots that had deeply disturbed daily life in Hong Kong.