The officer was attacked by assailants and received several wounds to his back, shoulder and arms

The vicious stabbing - several times - of an off-duty police officer by black-clad assailants was strongly condemned by prominent figures in Hong Kong on Saturday.

The officer was attacked by three men in Kwai Chung, New Territories, late on Friday night. He suffered several knife wounds to his back, shoulder and arms and was rushed to hospital.

In a statement on Saturday, the Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong - the city’s largest political party- said it utterly deplored the “premeditated” assault on a police officer.

The DAB said there was still widespread hate speech being directed at police officers – including incitement to assault them or bully their family members.

Calling for an immediate end to hateful words and acts in Hong Kong, the DAB also urged police management to do more to protect frontline officers and their families.

Also on Saturday, the city's largest labor group - the Hong Kong Federation of Trade Unions - said in a statement it was appalled by such a “despicable” attack.

According to the police, the officer did not have any grudges with other people in society. The federation said such a vicious assault on an officer was totally unacceptable.

Stressing the vital role the police play in safeguarding the city, the federation called for a stringent investigation into the attack.

Brave Chan Yung, a Hong Kong deputy to the National People's Congress - the nation's top legislature - described the stabbing as “heinous”.

He stressed that everyone - no matter their political views - must never resort to violence, otherwise the safety of all society would be jeopardized.

Business magnate Irons Sze Wing-wai, who is also a member of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference National Committee, the country’s top political advisory body, said the attack was “outrageous”.

He appealed to all Hong Kong people to reject violence and support the police in enforcing the law.

Meanwhile, five more local activists were arrested on Friday. They include three opposition lawmakers Au Nok-hin, Jeremy Tam Man-ho and Cheng Chung-Tai. The others are Sha Tin district councilor Rick Hui Yui-yu and former student union president of the University of Hong Kong, Althea Suen Hiu-nam.

Among them, Au Nok-hin, Tam Man-ho and Suen Hiu-nam were later granted bail.

Three local separatists - Joshua Wong Chi-fung, Agnes Chow Ting and Andy Chan Ho-tin - were arrested on Friday morning.

Wong and Chow were released on bail of HK$10,000 each. They will have to comply with curfew orders and are barred from traveling abroad, except for two pre-planned trips.

?