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July 1 flag-raising ceremony marking city’s return to China set to be held indoors for first time since 1997 handover if Hong Kong Observatory's thunderstorms forecast is realised
- Senior Hong Kong official says it is standard practice to hold ceremony indoors in bad weather, despite previous rainy gatherings going ahead outdoors
- Event is being scaled down because of protest fears, but Matthew Cheung refuses to be drawn on whether disruption threat could force relocation
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The flag-raising ceremony on July 1 could be moved indoors for the first time since the city returned to Chinese rule if there is rain and thunderstorms, Hong Kong’s No 2 official said.
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Chief Secretary Matthew Cheung Kin-chung’s comment came a day after the government said the event, which marks Hong’s Kong 1997 handover after more than a century as a British colony, will be scaled down due to security concerns.
The official, however, dodged the question of whether extradition bill protests could lead to the ceremony being relocated.
Speaking at the Legislative Council on Friday, Cheung said bad weather might move next Monday morning’s ceremony indoors.
“If the weather is poor with rain and thunderstorms, in general, you cannot raise flags outdoors, it is dangerous,” Cheung said, without naming the backup venue.
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