At least six people were injured after someone shot fireworks from a moving vehicle into a crowd of protesters who had gathered outside a Hong Kong police station last night.
According to Stand News, hundreds of people had gathered outside Tin Shui Wai station last night after police arrested three people — including two teenagers — at a Lennon Wall at Tin Sau Road Park.
The two teens were volunteers helping to maintain the wall when a middle-aged man appeared and began shouting at the pair and taking photographs of them. Shortly afterwards, Apple Daily reported that more than 10 police officers with riot shields appeared and took the trio to the police station.
Shortly after this, hundreds of people gathered outside the police station to demand their release, and officers responded by rolling down the shutters but leaving the door open.
The teens were released just before 1:50am, and lawyers, social workers, and the teens’ parents were at the station.
According to on.cc, a police officer went outside the station to explain to the crowd that the pair were arrested on suspicion of common assault, but were let go and not charged.
However, this wasn’t enough to satisfy the protesters, and they remained outside.
Then at about 2:40am, a black car drove by and fired a volley of fireworks from the driver’s side of the vehicle
Videos showed some of the exploding projectiles landing in the middle of a tight crowd of protesters standing at what appears to be the door to the police station.
Those injured reported blisters from burns on their hands and ringing in their ears, according to RTHK.
Following the drive-by attack, officers came out of the station to ask if any protesters were injured, RTHK reported.
In spite of the attack, the crowd returned to the police station, but eventually dispersed at 4:15am when it began to rain heavily.
The private use of fireworks is banned in Hong Kong, though it is quite common to see parts of the New Territories flout this ban.
No one was arrested yet in connection with the firework attack, and police did not respond to Coconuts HK’s inquiries as of press time.
Tin Shui Wai borders the New Territories town of Yuen Long, where a mob of pro-Beijing thugs — some with links to triads — viciously attacked pro-democracy protesters and everyday commuters at an MTR station 10 days ago.
The impromptu protest at Tin Shui Wai was taking place as protesters similarly gathered at a police station in Kwai Chung to protest police’s decision to charge 44 people with rioting after unruly protests in Sheung Wan on Sunday.
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