At about 11pm this evening, police in riot gear charged a group of protesters in Hong Kong’s Mong Kok neighborhood who had continued marching through Kowloon after an earlier protest nearby had largely dispersed.
Protesters used umbrellas to defend themselves from the charge, which began after a tense 20-minute standoff on a main thoroughfare.
Police using bullhorns had called for a group of some 300 mostly young, masked protesters to leave.
Clashes breaking out in Mong Kok between police and protesters. Truncheons were just being swung and police now moving forward in a line behind shields. Live feed up at: https://t.co/2MtYp11x7l #antiELAB #NoChinaExtradition #HongKongProtests #HongKong pic.twitter.com/IwlBDevki1
— Coconuts Hong Kong (@CoconutsHK) July 7, 2019
It was not immediately clear what prompted the charge by officers but the renewed scenes of chaos on the city’s streets marred a day that witnessed another huge, peaceful anti-government protest.
Photos posted by veteran activist Joshua Wong showed protesters with bloodied faces after police wielding shields and truncheons had repeated clashes at a series of flash points around the neighborhood.
HKers joined rally peacefully to against extradition bill result in being beaten and assaulted by HK Police pic.twitter.com/AaAXrkd5ya
— Joshua Wong 黃之鋒 😷 (@joshuawongcf) July 7, 2019
An indeterminate number of protesters were arrested, with local news feeds showing several physically pinned to the ground and later handcuffed and pushed into waiting police vehicles.
The crowds responded with chants of “release the people” and “black cops” — a play on the phrase “black societies,” which is used to describe triad gangs.
HK01 live feed shows a number of protesters having been physically subdued and apparently detained by police. Tensions high as protesters can be heard chanting in the background. #antiELAB #NoChinaExtradition #HongKongProtests #HongKong pic.twitter.com/BxGzQhDM0W
— Coconuts Hong Kong (@CoconutsHK) July 7, 2019
Police in riot gear advancing down Sai Yeung Choi Street South #antiELAB pic.twitter.com/v5NiQPvDk7
— Aaron Mc Nicholas (@aaronMCN) July 7, 2019
Hong Kong’s Mong Kok neighborhood is well known as the scene of major protests during the 2014 Umbrella Movement, which led to numerous arrests.
As this story publishes, multiple protesters and police are still on the street and the potential for more violence remains. Multiple live feeds have been collated at this website.
