Photo: Cui Meng/GT

 Radical protesters vandalized the Kwai Fong station in Hong Kong on Friday night, after the Mass Transit Railway (MTR) shut down the station around 9 pm and applied for an interim injunction to restrain those who intentionally damaged public property and trains.

Dozens of black-clad protesters gathered on the station concourse before the 9 pm closing time. They chanted that they wanted to take the train and use the staff toilet. Protesters stopped a female passenger from using the toilet, and a protester was seen urinate several times in the station. 

Then violent protesters vandalized the facilities inside the Kwai Fong station and spray-painted insulting words on the walls. "I want to take trains!" "FxxK MTR!" They also wrote slogans that condemned chief executive Carrie Lam on the window of the control room. What was even more disgusting was that protesters stuck sanitary pads on the window.

Hong Kong police said on Friday night that a large group of protesters had gathered inside the Kwai Fong MTR station and damaged facilities inside. They said such acts disturbed public peace and threatened the safety of citizens, including reporters and MTR staff members.

"In response to a report made by the MTRC (MTR Corporation), police officers will soon enter the station to assist MTRC," the police noted.

When police arrived at around 11 pm, the protesters ran off. Working staff at the station shut the gate and asked reporters to leave.

Photo: Cui Meng/GT

 
This was the second incident this week in which protesters intentionally damaged an MTR station . Protesters damaged public property at Yuen Long station on Wednesday night, following a standoff with police outside the station. They ignored warnings from police several times and continued to provoke police by brandishing batons, spraying fire extinguishers and setting up barricades inside the station.

A spokesperson for MTR told the Global Times on Friday night that it had obtained an interim injunction.

In the light of recent repeated instances where station facilities were vandalized, MTR staff were harassed and the safety of MTR staff and passengers was threatened, the MTR has obtained an interim injunction to restrain people from unlawfully and willfully obstructing or interfering with the proper use of the stations and trains of the railway network including heavy rail and Light Rail, and the High Speed Rail West Kowloon Station, from damaging any property or trains, the company said in a statement sent to the Global Times.

The injunction will also prevent people "from using any threatening, abusive, obscene or offensive language or willfully interfering with the comfort or convenience of any MTR staff at any station," the company said.

The interim injunction is effective until August 30, according to MTR.