Hong Kong riot police fired tear gas on Saturday evening at pro-democracy protesters in a popular tourist district, as violence rocked the international finance hub once more despite increasingly stern warnings from China.
The semi-autonomous southern Chinese financial hub has seen two months of protests and clashes triggered by opposition to a planned extradition law that quickly evolved into a wider movement for democratic reforms.
Authorities in Hong Kong and Beijing this week signaled a hardening stance, including with the arrests of dozens of protesters, and the Chinese military saying it was ready to quell the “intolerable” unrest if requested.
But protesters have remained unyielding, vowing to hold multiple occupations and rallies in the coming days.
Police are clearly trying the same tactic as last Sunday where they charge forward at the same time as they fire the gas. On this particular occasion, it didn’t lead to any arrests that I saw, but the night is long… #antiELAB #tictocnews pic.twitter.com/AqP8MpzVLC
— Aaron Mc Nicholas (@aaronMCN) August 3, 2019
Saturday’s violence — the ninth consecutive weekend of clashes — took place in Tsim Sha Tsui, a usually bustling harborside district known for its luxury malls and hotels.
Officers with gas masks and shields charged at hundreds of protesters who had been besieging a nearby police station.
Masked demonstrators had smashed the windows of cars in the police parking lot and daubed nearby walls with graffiti. One team of protesters created a large slingshot — held up by two members — to launch bricks at the building.
Police fired volleys of tear gas followed by baton charges and made multiple arrests.
Earlier in the day tens of thousands of protesters had marched through nearby streets, embracing their mantra “be water” — a philosophy of unpredictability espoused by local martial arts legend Bruce Lee.
The seized roads, built barricades and even briefly blocked a cross-harbor tunnel.
“We will fight as guerrillas today and be water,” a masked and helmeted 19-year-old, who gave her surname Lee, told AFP.
The past two weekends have seen a surge in violence by both protesters and police, who have repeatedly fired rubber bullets and tear gas to disperse projectile-throwing crowds.
A mob of pro-government thugs also attacked demonstrators, putting 45 people in hospital.
Hong Kong chief executive Carrie Lam has made few concessions beyond agreeing to suspend the extradition bill and shied away from public appearances.
Protesters are demanding her resignation, an independent inquiry into police tactics, an amnesty for those arrested, a permanent withdrawal of the bill, and the right to elect their leaders.
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