Grand Opening of AC3 on 6 May

Dear Colleagues and Students,

We would like to provide the following supplementary information we received regarding the security arrangements for the Opening Ceremony of AC3 which was held on 6 May.

Before the start of the ceremony, to which approximately 400 guests had been invited, a group of CityU students, together with some individuals from outside our campus, staged a demonstration, blocking an entrance to the lecture area where the ceremony was taking place.

The University received no application or notification prior to the ceremony from the students stating that they wished to hold a demonstration.

Repeated requests were made to the demonstrators to allow guests to enter the lecture theatre, but these requests were ignored. During the commotion, one student and one CityU security guard were injured, and a large crowd of students, staff members, guests and reporters were detained at the blocked entrance. Out of a concern for people’s safety, the security guards removed the demonstrators.

In addition, while the ceremony was in process, several demonstrators tried to force their way into the theatre. They were asked to stop their disruptive actions, but these requests were ignored, so the decision was taken to temporarily close the lecture theatre doors to ensure people’s safety and uphold the dignity of the occasion. The doors were re-opened a little while later, after the demonstrators had calmed down.

There was no intention at any time to prevent the media from reporting the event.

CityU took full responsibility for all the security arrangements for the Opening Ceremony of AC3. We did not request any assistance from the police. The University deployed 77 security guards to take care of the traffic flow and security issues both inside and outside AC3 during the event. Forty of the personnel were regular CityU campus security guards. The remaining 37 were additional temporary security guards engaged specially for the event through outsourcing to a security guard company by the Campus Development and Facilities Management Office.

CityU has always upheld freedom of expression and diversity of opinion, and supported peaceful student demonstrations and expressions of views. We have conveyed our sincere concerns to the injured student and to our security guard who is receiving treatment in hospital.

We are carefully reviewing the events surrounding the opening ceremony to identify areas for improvement, as is standard practice for all major University activities. We hope to correct any inadequacies related to the security arrangement at the event to ensure more efficient operations in the future.

We thank all our stakeholders for their useful feedback and support to enable us to improve our campus management.

Communications and Public Relations Office

10 May 2013

5月6日學術樓（三）啟用典禮

各位同事、同學：

有關學術樓（三）啟用典禮的保安事宜，我們根據初步得到的資料作如下補充：

大學5月6日在學術樓（三）演講廳舉行啟用典禮，約400位賓客出席。根據城大同事呈交的有關報告，校方事前未有收到學生進行示威的申請或通知。當日典禮開始前，一批學生及外來人士，出現在演講廳出入口，示威抗議，引致通道阻塞，一片混亂，保安人員屢勸無效。混亂中，一名同學及一名城大保安員受傷。當時現場人數衆多，既有學生、教職員，又有觀禮人士及記者。保安人員基於安全考慮，遂把示威者移離會場出入口。

典禮進行期間，數名示威者企圖衝入會場。為防止發生意外，並確保在場人士的安全及典禮順利進行，保安遂勸阻示威者不要衝擊會場，同時暫停賓客和記者進出。待示威者情緒穩定後，隨即讓賓客和記者進出演講廳，並無意圖阻止記者到會場外採訪。

典禮當日的場地內外保安工作，由大學負責，並沒有要求警方協助。當日校方動用了77名保安人員，其中40名是校園保安，其餘37名是由大學校園發展及設施管理處透過外判保安公司臨時聘用。

城大尊重言論自由，並極力維護多元觀點，支持同學表達意見與和平示威，亦已向該名受傷同學及留院治療的保安同事表示誠摯的慰問。城大舉辦大型活動後，會檢討活動的安排。這次活動中的保安工作及處理方法或有未能盡善之處，大學正慎重進行檢討改進，務求日後的運作更為妥善。

多謝各方的意見和支持，與我們共同努力，繼續改善校園管理。

傳訊及公關處

2013年5月10日