Hong Kong Epoch Times Forced to Suspend Printing After Violent Attack

Lawmaker condemns attack's 'direct assault on Hong Kong’s free press'



The Hong Kong edition of The Epoch Times is temporarily suspending distribution to repair damaged equipment after an attack on April 12—the fifth attack on the printing plant since it was established in 2006.

In the early hours of April 12 local time, four masked intruders barged their way into the warehouse, wielding two sledgehammers and a knife hidden inside a plastic bag.

The four men smashed printing press equipment and tossed construction debris on the equipment before fleeing in a white van. Among the items damaged were multiple computers and the printing press’s central control panel. The men warned a print shop employee to “go away,” with one saying, “Don’t force me to do anything.” They also stole a computer as they left.

Police officers arrived shortly afterward and told Epoch Times employees that the department’s crime unit would investigate.

The Hong Kong edition of The Epoch Times has decried the attack as a crime against Hong Kong’s liberties and the rule of law.

“These thugs are not just targeting The Epoch Times Hong Kong, but also the independent media outlets in Hong Kong,” the outlet said in a statement. “It’s a malicious attack on basic societal norms such as … press freedom.”
[link to www.theepochtimes.com (secure)]