[ 和平佔中秘書處新聞稿 2014年10月16日19:48發出 ]

佔中籲勿忘初衷

促盡快公布警員暴力清場調查結果

警察對示威者行使私刑，天人共憤。警方在巨大民意反彈的情況下，終於今天決定暫停七位涉嫌施暴的警員的職務，並就事件展開刑事調查，和平佔中關注調查進度，促請當局早日公布結果，並盡快公布警方在龍和道驅散群眾過程中涉嫌對其他示威者使用過度武力的調查報告。

由於警方在本月十五日清晨的清場行動過份粗暴，昨日在龍和道出現一些「零星佔領」和干擾交通的行動，顯見示威者與前線警員的關係愈趨緊張。和平佔中認為，個別警員的濫權行為固然可恨，但我們期望每一位佔領者都能不忘初衷，以愛與和平的態度爭取民主體制，而對象應是漠視民意的獨裁者，切忌擦槍走火，讓政府有藉口鎮壓。

我們呼籲市民繼續守護「雨傘廣場」。設若有人進一步堵路或擴大佔領區，勢將加深市民内部矛盾，正中梁振英下懷，令政府以民怨升溫為由清場。更重要的是，公民抗命若要成功，便須尋求公眾諒解和普羅大眾的支持。

對於濫用權力的警員，我們予以強烈譴責。但只要警員依法公正執行職務，我們呼籲抗爭者能予以體諒，因為他們也是被不公義的制度和政府的強硬派推到我們的對立面。我們希望每位抗爭者勿忘初衷，以愛與和平對抗獨裁政府。

[Press Release by OCLP Secretariat] 16 October 2014

Don't Forget Our Original Intention

We are all outraged by the extrajudicial punishment dished out on protesters by the police. Today the police finally decided to suspend from duty the seven police officers who allegedly carried out the attacks, and will conduct a criminal investigation. OCLP is paying close attention to the progress of the investigation and urges the authorities to make the results of the investigation public as soon as possible, as well as the investigations into excessive force used by the police in dispersing the protesters in Lung Wo Road.

Since the police used excessive force in the clearance operation in the early morning of the 15th of this month, some 'sporadic acts of occupation' and obstruction of traffic sprang up in Lung Wo Road yesterday, which shows the increasing tension between demonstrators and frontline police officers. Although OCLP finds the abuse of power by individual police officers to be hateful, we urge every occupier not to forget our original intention, that is to fight for a democratic political system with love and peace. Our target should be the dictator who ignores public opinion. We should not misfire and give the government an excuse for repression.

We urge the occupiers to continue to safeguard the 'Umbrella Square'. If someone chooses to further block the road or extend the occupation area, that will surely intensify the conflict among citizens, which is what Leung Chun-ying would love to see. It also gives the government a reason for clearance due to rising 'public resentment'. More importantly, for civil disobedience to be successful, understanding and support from the public have to be sought.

We strongly condemn the police officers for abusing their power. However, we also call for protesters to show understanding and sympathy if the police are carrying out their duties lawfully.  They have simply been pushed into the position of our opponents by an unjust system and the hardliners in the government.  We hope all protesters not to forget what it was we set out to do - to resist a dictatorial government with love and peace.