In a most physical confrontation involving a member of Carrie Lam's cabinet since the Hong Kong protests, now in their sixth month, Justice Minister Teresa Cheng was surrounded by a crowd of jeering pro-democracy protesters in London.
Lam on Thursday condemned a "barbaric attack" on the deeply unpopular Secretary for Justice. Cheng was ambushed by around a dozen masked demonstrators as she prepared to attend a speaking event on Thursday night in London.
They shone torch lights on her while calling her a "murderer" and shouting slogans of the Hong Kong pro-democracy protest movement. Cheng suffered "serious bodily harm" during the altercation, Chief Executive Lam said in a statement.
Lam also called on police in Britain to investigate the incident she termed to be "barbaric and violated the principles of a civilised society".
Cheng, one of the most unpopular Hong Kong government officials, is in London on a visit to promote Hong Kong's role as a dispute resolution and deal-making hub. It is her department, that is in charge of prosecuting Hong Kong's pro-democracy protesters. She is the first senior Hong Kong official to be injured in scuffles since the unrest began in June.
For a fifth straight day on Friday, protesters caused widespread disruption with barricades and rallies in the semi-autonomous financial hub. Protesters tipped into further violence after firing from the police killed two last week.
The five-month crisis has entered a new phase in recent days with hardcore protesters embarking on a campaign to "blossom everywhere" across the city in a bid to stretch police resources.
Carrie Lam had called an emergency cabinet meeting on Wednesday night to discuss whether to impose a curfew to quell the protests. Hong Kong's government, however, decided against the measure
