Latest news with #Sogo
HKFP
6 days ago
- General
- HKFP
In Pictures: Hong Kong police deploy armoured vehicle in Causeway Bay on Tiananmen crackdown anniversary
Police have deployed an armoured vehicle in Hong Kong's commercial heart, amidst an ongoing heavy security presence on the 36th anniversary of the Tiananmen Square crackdown. The 'Sabertooth' armoured vehicle was spotted on Great George Street in Causeway Bay on Wednesday afternoon, as groups of uniformed officers patrolled areas near Victoria Park, the former site of annual vigils commemorating the 1989 Tiananmen crackdown in Beijing. Hundreds of police officers have also been deployed in Causeway Bay. Officers – both in uniform and plainclothes – are being stationed in the Causeway Bay MTR station, outside the Sogo department store, as well as in and around Victoria Park. Andrew Kan, deputy police commissioner for national security, made an appearance in Causeway Bay at around 5.05pm and walked around for about 10 minutes. Activist Lui Yuk-lin, nicknamed 'Female Long Hair,' was brought into a police van at 4.28pm, shortly after she exited the Causeway Bay MTR station. She clasped her palms in front of her chest without saying anything. It is unclear whether she was under arrest. In Victoria Park, a man holding an electric candle while sitting on a bench was surrounded by police officers at around 4.30pm. The man, wearing a face mask, a white cap, and dressed in black attire, was later brought to a police van. Police did not say whether he was apprehended. Shortly after 6pm, a woman holding up a small white flower on Great George Street was surrounded by police. They searched her belongings and escorted her away to the MTR station. Two women – including a girl holding flowers and wearing what appeared to be a school uniform – were taken into a police van in Victoria Park. Performance artist Chan Mei-tung appeared in Causeway Bay at around 7.15pm and told reporters that she was going to Victoria Park to swim. She was stopped by police as she was approaching the park in the rain and was taken away in a police van at 7.29pm. On Tuesday, Chan was stopped and searched by plainclothes officers outside Sogo, as she was chewing bubble gum. The Tiananmen crackdown occurred on June 4, 1989, ending months of student-led demonstrations in China. It is estimated that hundreds, perhaps thousands, died when the People's Liberation Army cracked down on protesters in Beijing. Keith Yip, deputy police commissioner of operations, appeared in Victoria Park at around 7.45pm. A man stood silently in the rain at around 8pm. Minutes later, he was escorted by police and taken into a police van. Louis Doucet, head of press and communications at the French Consulate General in Hong Kong, walked through Victoria Park at around 8.20pm. Around 20 minutes later in the park, police questioned a man wearing a white T-shirt featuring a drawing of the Goddess of Democracy and a Chinese slogan saying, 'Vindication of June 4 Comes Closer and Closer,' before taking him into a police van. At around 9 pm, a man wearing a T-shirt saying 'Core Values of Socialism' was taken away by police in Victoria Park. Police did not say whether he was under arrest. He was also taken away during last year's Tiananmen crackdown anniversary. Just before 9 pm, a man wearing a headpiece that read 'Hong Kong Add Oil' in Chinese was stopped by police at the entrance of Fashion Walk in Causeway Bay and later led into a police van. His dog had on a collared decorated with yellow ribbons and the Chinese word for 'persist.' Two female journalists – one working for Yahoo News and the other for local media outlet The Collective – said they were questioned by police after filming an officer shining a flashlight at reporters outside the H&M store on Great George Street. Speaking to the press after being released at around 9pm, the two journalists said they told the police they were reporters. The officers then took down their personal details and press credentials before letting them go. Hong Kong used to be the only place on Chinese soil – besides Macau – where commemoration of the crackdown could be held in public. Tens of thousands of residents gathered annually in Victoria Park in Causeway Bay for candlelight vigils on June 4 every year to mourn the victims. But authorities banned the Tiananmen vigil gathering at Victoria Park for the first time in 2020, citing Covid-19 restrictions, and imposed the ban again in 2021, nearly a year after a national security law imposed by Beijing came into effect. The vigil organiser – Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements of China – voted a year later to disband after its former leaders Lee Cheuk-yan, Albert Ho, and Chow Hang-tung were charged with incitement to subversion under the national security law. Chow, who is currently detained pending trial, announced on Sunday that she would launch a 36-hour hunger strike in prison on Wednesday to mark 36 years since the crackdown took place. 'I believe we all will have our own ways to remember the day,' read the post shared by Chow's Patreon account, which is managed by the activist's family and friends. The police set up anti-crash barriers outside the Sogo department store after a blue private vehicle drove onto the pedestrian road. The driver was taken away by the police, and the car was towed. Local media outlet The Collective reported on Wednesday that some police officers were dropped off from a Government Flying Services helicopter at Lion Rock, where banners and signs commemorating the Tiananmen crackdown appeared in previous years. The officers set up camp near the mountaintop, the report read. In an email reply to HKFP's enquiries, the police force said: 'Police will not disclose specific operational details as it may affect the effectiveness of Police's operations.' AsOne Store, a pro-democracy business run by former district councillor Derek Chu in Mong Kok, is distributing commemorative digital candles for free on Wednesday to mark the anniversary of the Tiananmen crackdown. Some candles are wrapped with labels that read 'Tiananmen Mothers,' referring to a group of parents who say their children died during the 1989 crackdown and have since advocated for Beijing to stop treating discussions of the event as taboo. Chu told HKFP on Wednesday afternoon that more than 20 people had gone to the store to get the candles. AsOne also sells candles from another pro-democracy store, Heung Together, which was inspected by Hong Kong customs officers on Tuesday, the eve of the Tiananmen anniversary. 'It is really depressing every day in Hong Kong when you dare not speak up. But on June 4, I see that there are still many people who stand firm in their beliefs. I can still feel the spirit of those who want to safeguard the truth,' Chu said. It is the third consecutive year that the store has displayed candles to commemorate the historic event, after the annual candlelight vigils in Victoria Park were snuffed out. The Tiananmen crackdown occurred on June 4, 1989, ending months of student-led demonstrations in China. It is estimated that hundreds, perhaps thousands, died when the People's Liberation Army cracked down on protesters in Beijing.
Eater
7 days ago
- Business
- Eater
This Hand Roll Bar From a Sushi Master Is Opening in Highland Park
Los Feliz sushi spot Sogo Roll Bar is expanding with a second location along a busy stretch of York Boulevard in Highland Park. Opening on June 4 in the former Holcomb space, the restaurant will debut with the same menu of hand and cut rolls, donburi, and starters, including cucumber salad, as the original location. Sogo Roll Bar comes from a partnership between David Gibbs and Kiminobu Saito of renowned Valley sushi restaurant Sushi Note, and Sarah Dietz and Dustin Lancaster, the industry veterans behind Los Angeles bars that include Bar Covell, L&E Oyster Bar, and Real Charmer. Although Dietz wasn't actively looking to expand Sogo, the opportunity arose after Holcomb closed in April. During the two-month flip, the restaurant's interior was updated with green Japanese stucco walls and maroon heron print Gucci wallpaper. Simon St. James of New Made LA designed lighting for the space, while Ellery Stoneware created custom earth-tone serveware. A wooden bar runs the length of the dining room, flanked by a handful of tables, and a patio that faces the street outside seems ideal for sake and snacks. Fans of Sogo's original location will find familiar favorites on the Highland Park menu, including the roll sets with fish like snapper, yellowtail, and salmon. Shareable starters include spicy tuna crispy rice, black cod, salmon sashimi, and baked crab crispy rice. Larger donburis are topped with a choice of raw fish like salmon or albacore, black cod, or cucumber and avocado. While the roll sets offer an easy way to try a diverse array of fish, individual rolls are also available with toro, spicy tuna, unagi, and more. Alongside the food menu, Sogo also serves sake, wine, beer, and non-alcoholic beverages. Sakes are divided into three categories to guide customers, like 'light and refreshing,' 'savory and interesting,' and 'fruity and funky.' While Sogo's Los Feliz location didn't open with a liquor license, the drinks program is a major focus in Highland Park. 'We're really trying to have a bit more focus on being a drinking and snack destination, as well as full meals,' Dietz says. Sushi is what the restaurant may be best known for, but she hopes locals in the neighborhood will pop by for a glass of sake and snacks before a show or dinner. Sogo's arrival in Highland Park brings an all-day sushi option to a neighborhood with a small number of Japanese restaurants. One of the only other sushi restaurants in the area, Ichijiku Sushi, is only open for dinner on weekdays, with late afternoon hours on the weekends. Sogo is also focused on offering hand rolls at a price point where people can be regulars, with most sets falling into the $30 range. 'Raw fish is never going to be cheap price point, but we really try to ensure that it's a price point that you can be comfortable eating at,' Dietz says. Even before opening, Dietz says that neighbors are looking forward to the restaurant's arrival. 'A neighbor was walking their dog down the street a couple weeks ago, and I told her it was going to be a hand roll bar,' she says. 'She screamed out loud in excitement.' Sogo Roll Bar opens in Highland Park at 5535 York Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90042 on June 4. It will be open Monday to Thursday from 12 p.m. to 9 p.m., and Friday and Saturday from 12 p.m. to 9 p.m. Sign up for our newsletter. 5535 York Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90042, ,
Free Malaysia Today
24-05-2025
- Politics
- Free Malaysia Today
700 turn up for pro-Malay rally in KL
Participants at Himpunan Melayu Berdaulat held near Sogo in Kuala Lumpur today. KUALA LUMPUR : More than 700 people took part in Himpunan Melayu Berdaulat, a pro-Malay rally, near the Sogo shopping complex today to voice their dissatisfaction with the government's alleged shortcomings on issues affecting the community's livelihood. The gathering, organised by a coalition of Malay NGOs with the participants wearing white, proceeded without incident. Syed Hassan Syed Ali, who heads Malay rights group Perkasa, said the gathering was a 'manifestation of Malay disappointment' over issues affecting the community since the unity government was formed more than two years ago. Among the alleged grievances is the purported non-Malay dominance in government agencies and development projects, resulting in Malay land owners being 'oppressed'. 'We see these issues cropping up since the Madani administration was formed in 2022. We are worried about where we are heading, especially when it comes to Malay and Islamic interests,' he said when met during the rally. PAS's Razman Zakaria said the gathering was vital to raise awareness among Malays of their rights. 'We want to inculcate this to the Malays, that our job is to elect honest leaders who will defend our rights,' he said. The rally, which began at 2,30pm and lasted for about 90 minutes, was also attended by PAS vice-president Idris Ahmad and Pejuang information chief Rafique Rashid Ali. Dang Wangi police chief Sulizmie Affendy Sulaiman estimated the crowd to be between 700 and 800. Syed Hassan previously said that more than 700 NGOs had confirmed their participation and that up to 20,000 participants had been expected.
Malaysiakini
24-05-2025
- Politics
- Malaysiakini
Hundreds join 'Himpunan Melayu Berdaulat' rally in KL
Hundreds gathered at the "Himpunan Melayu Berdaulat" rally in the capital today to voice issues concerning the interests of Malays and Muslims, including to protest the proposed Urban Renewal Act (URA). The rally, which began at around 2.30pm, was held simultaneously at four main locations - Masjid Jamek Kuala Lumpur, Masjid Jamek Kampung Baru, Jalan Raja Laut, and Kelab Sultan Sulaiman in Kampung Baru - before participants marched towards the Sogo department store. Most participants...
Malay Mail
24-05-2025
- Politics
- Malay Mail
Peaceful rally in KL highlights concerns over Malay rights
KUALA LUMPUR, May 24 — A crowd gathered outside Sogo Kuala Lumpur this afternoon for the 'Himpunan Melayu Berdaulat' (Sovereign Malay Rally), calling for the protection of Malay rights, reserve lands and national sovereignty. Led by a coalition of non-governmental organisations headed by Perkasa president Syed Hassan Syed Ali, the rally attracted participants from nearby areas including Masjid Jamek and Kampung Baru, with arrivals starting around 1.30pm. The gathering, which lasted just over two hours, concluded peacefully by approximately 4.30pm. 'This is a gathering of Malays that goes beyond political party lines,' Syed Hassan said during the rally. People participate in the 'Himpunan Melayu Berdaulat' (Sovereign Malay Rally) in front of Sogo Kuala Lumpur May 24, 2025. — Picture by Sayuti Zainudin Participants, numbering in the hundreds, chanted slogans such as 'Melayu Berdaulat', 'Islam Hebat', and 'Rakyat Selamat', while holding placards calling for the return of Malay reserve land and the cancellation of long-term visas issued to foreign nationals. The rally took place under hot weather, and there was no rain — a contrast to recent afternoon showers. Many attendees used umbrellas for shade. Police were present to monitor the situation, while safety marshals assisted with crowd management. The event remained orderly throughout. People participate in the 'Himpunan Melayu Berdaulat' (Sovereign Malay Rally) in front of Sogo Kuala Lumpur May 24, 2025. — Picture by Sayuti Zainudin Onlookers and passersby observed from across the street, with some recording the event on mobile phones. Traffic in the area slowed but was not significantly disrupted, as officers directed vehicles away from the gathering site. Cleanup crews moved in shortly after the rally ended to restore the area.
