The Fire Services Department today said radical acts by some protesters seriously affected its service at the Hong Kong International Airport.

The department said it responded to seven emergency ambulance calls during the mass gathering at the airport yesterday.

When dealing with two of the cases, the department’s ambulance crews were confronted by protesters who refused to make way for them.

The crews took a very long time to reach the injured, provide them with ambulance aid and bring them to the hospital, it said.

In one serious case, it took more than three hours for the crew to take an injured person to the ambulance.

An ambulanceman sustained injury after being repeatedly hit by protesters while handling the injured person, and some protesters snatched or damaged ambulance tools and equipment, it said.

The department strongly condemned these acts and stressed that ambulance personnel have to race against time to provide emergency services.

The department also called on people to co-operate with rescue personnel so patients can receive prompt ambulance services.