Rioters set fire at Causeway Bay in Hong Kong, south China, Oct. 4, 2019 Photo: Xinhua

The Hong Kong Police Force on Friday said it has issued a letter of objection to a major protest planned by anti-government groups for Sunday, citing police intelligence that points to potential violent actions that threaten public security and order.

The police received an application for a public assembly in the Yau Tsim Mong area on Sunday, but "out of consideration for public safety, we have issued a notice of objection," Ho Yun-sing, district commander of Yau Tsim district police, told a press briefing on Friday.

Ho said that the police have received intelligence that some might use the planned protest to engage in violent actions, including the use of offensive weapons such as Molotov cocktails and homemade explosives, that threaten public security and order and the rights of others. He warned that participation in the planned protest would be considered an "unlawful act."

At the press briefing, Kong Wing-cheung, acting chief superintendent of the police public relations branch, condemned the recent escalation of violence, saying while the police support freedom of expression, such radical acts "do not help anybody."

Although no major protests were held during the week, criminal activities persisted, according to Kong. Between Monday and Thursday, the police arrested 13 people aged between 16 and 46 for rioting, unlawful assembly, burglary and other illegal activities, he said.

The police decision to deny the planned protest on Sunday was met with criticism from anti-government organizers on Friday, who criticized the police for violating their right to assemble.

The police maintained that while it supports residents' right to free expression, it is also responsible for the safety of the public as well as those participating in the assembly.

"We don't issue these objections lightly," Ho said, noting that the police have received more than 140 applications for public assemblies over the past four months and issued a letter of no objection to more than 120 of them, and only objected to 23 of them.