Honk Kong seals sidewalk as preventive measures for top Chinese official visits

Hong Kong authorities have been gluing down paving blocks to sidewalks, as police roll out heavy security measures ahead of a visit by a senior Chinese official. Lawmakers said the bricks were being stuck down to prevent them being thrown as projectiles, with protests expected during this week's visit by Zhang Dejiang. Zhang's trip comes at a time of worsening relations between Hong Kong residents and the central Chinese government, with many concerned about Beijing encroaching on the city's freedoms.
"I think this is a normal act to do. With the recent bricks throwing incident, there is a need to protect public safety and social order," said Regina Yip, a pro-Beijing lawmaker, on her Facebook page.
In February, a riot erupted over a government crackdown on street vendors, with protesters hurling bottles and bricks peeled from the sidewalk at police, who responded with pepper spray and warning shots. The city's Highway's Department said that paving blocks were generally laid on sand but in some areas, were being strengthened with cement to seal up the joints -- to make them more stable.
In addition, it said in locations where people assemble, the "paving blocks could be subject to vandalism."

In the picture above, people walk past debris and a section of the pavement which was partial ripped up and used in overnight clashes between protesters and police in the Mongkok area of Hong Kong on February 9, 2016.

Source: CNN