Live ammunition was reportedly fired in at least two locations this afternoon, with one person apparently shot in the chest with a pistol round, as thousands upon thousands of Hongkongers took to the streets hell bent on raining on China’s National Day parade.
Flouting a police ban and official warnings not to participate in today’s unsanctioned public gatherings, protesters gathered across Hong Kong Island, Kowloon, and the New Territories in a continuation of the pro-democracy movement that has rocked the city since June.
In at least two separate areas, police officers reportedly fired what appeared to be live rounds from their service weapons, with one protester allegedly shot.
https://twitter.com/cityusuedb/status/1178951946507390976
Citing an anonymous source, the SCMP reported that a man in Tsuen Wan was shot in the chest by a live round.
Video from the scene taken by Hong Kong CityU students shows a man with blood on his shirt crying out to be taken to the hospital, while another video, published by HKU’s student union, appears to show the man being shot.
In the video, a group of protesters can be seen attacking two riot policemen, one of whom has his pistol drawn. As the officer turns around, pistol raised, a protester swings what appears to be a metal pole at him, grazing the arm holding the gun.
The slow-motion footage shows the pistol appear to discharge with the gun leveled at the man’s chest at point blank range, and the man topples over backwards.
Photos from the scene showed him being tended to by police and paramedics, and the man was reportedly taken to hospital in conscious state.
Meanwhile, in Yau Ma Tei, police fired warning shots after a group of pole-wielding protesters set upon a police van.
This captures warning shots fired by police in Yau Ma Tei at 3:40pm, a police source confirmed.
In another video by HKEJ, the police vehicle stopped on the road as protesters threw objects to attack it. Police then came out of the vehicle and got into scuffles with protesters. pic.twitter.com/8PqidBbdxv
— Kinling Lo 盧建靈 (@kinlinglo) October 1, 2019
Video from the scene shows a handful of police emerge from the van to confront them, and as protesters begin to attack the officers, some draw their weapons in warning.
Seconds later, one of the officers can be seen pointing his gun into the air and a shot rings out. As the clashes continue, another shot can be heard, at which point the protesters appear to disperse as police — at least one of them with blood running down his face — continue to brandish their weapons.
Unrest broke out in flashpoints across the city this afternoon, with tear gas and water cannons also deployed.
Updates to follow.
