HONG KONG—Police blocked a protest planned for this weekend in a district where a mob attacked protesters on Sunday, raising the prospect for further clashes as some activists promised to go despite the ban.
The rare decision to ban the march on Saturday comes amid fears it could prompt further violence in the northwestern district of Yuen Long. Police have largely approved permits for protesters in the city and helped redirect traffic to accommodate them.
On Sunday, a large group of men in white shirts stormed a subway station and beat protesters and bystanders, leaving 45 people injured. The white-clad men are suspected of being members of organized crime gangs known as triads. Their attire contrasted with the black clothes worn by protesters.
Demonstrators have criticized police for their slow response to the attack. Police arrested a number of people this week in connection with the attack and expressed regret they weren’t able to prevent it.
On Thursday, a police commander, Tsang Ching-fo, said the decision to block the protest was made after considering a number of factors including public safety, crowd management and social sentiment.
In response, demonstrators put out calls on social media for people to protest in the district by going walking, shopping or holding a mock memorial for Li Peng, the former Chinese premier who backed using China’s military to violently quell the Tiananmen Square democracy demonstrations in 1989. Mr. Li died on Monday.
Mr. Tsang said officers will still be deployed in Yuen Long on Saturday to prevent any violence or disruptions on public transportation.
Hong Kong authorities have struggled to quell protests in recent weeks, which were originally sparked by a controversial bill to legalize extradition to China. Hong Kong’s Chief Executive Carrie Lam said earlier this month that the bill was dead. But thousands of protesters have continued to demonstrate, demanding the full withdrawal of the proposed law, among other issues, including universal suffrage.
After protesters defaced a Chinese government office in the city on Sunday, Hong Kong authorities said they would use all necessary measures to safeguard the city.
On Wednesday, a Chinese military spokesman described the violence in Hong Kong as intolerable and cited a law that permits the city’s government to ask Chinese armed forces for help in maintaining the public order.
Write to Natasha Khan at natasha.khan@wsj.com
