The Legislative Council partially reopened on Thursday as a red alert issued since July 1 was lifted at 8 am, allowing legislators, their assistants, secretariat staff and reporters to resume their work in the LegCo complex.
The complex has been cordoned off for about 10 days since violent protesters broke into the building and vandalized facilities inside on the evening of July 1.
The main lobby and the meeting chamber remained closed for repair works. All guided tours and services to the public, including the Public Complaints Office, the LegCo Library, Archives and Children's Corner, remained suspended until further notice. Major corridors and some other seriously damaged areas were also barred from entering.
The public entrance area was sealed off as broken glass panels damaged by protesters were yet to be fixed. Workers have started conducting repair works on the exterior of the building.
On July 1, hundreds of protesters stormed into the LegCo complex and occupied the building for about three hours. They vandalized the premise, including tearing down portraits of the incumbent and previous LegCo presidents, defacing the emblem of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region and spraying graffiti on the walls.
A red alert was issued just before protesters barged into the building to warn all people inside to evacuate for safety reason.
The repair cost incurred could reach HK$60 million, according to an earlier estimate by LegCo Finance Committee Chairman Chan Kin-por. All meetings were suspended until October the soonest.
