Police used tear gas last night in Tin Shui Wai to disperse protesters angered by the government’s refusal to seal the border with the mainland amid growing fears over the Wuhan coronavirus.
Residents gathered in various parts of the city last night in solidarity with striking medical workers boycotting work for five days unless the authorities order a complete border shutdown to stem the spread of the virus.
So far, only three of the city’s 13 border control points with the mainland are open, namely the airport, the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge, and the Shenzhen Bay bridge, which connects Shenzhen with Hong Kong via Tin Shui Wai.
Video published by Apple Daily shows that a fight broke out outside Tin Shui Village last night, with some protesters beating a man. It’s not clear what prompted the fracas.
Shortly afterwards, riot police arrived, raised a blue flag declaring the gathering an illegal assembly, and fired tear gas.
Ming Pao reports that pepper spray and rubber bullets were also used, and Yuen Long district councillor Ng Kin-wai was hit in the back with one.
Police said in a statement last night that masked protesters “wreaked havoc at multiple locations, which included blocking Tong Tak Street in Tseung Kwan O, vandalising a shop in Shatin Plaza and throwing bricks outside Tin Shui Shopping Centre in Tin Shui Wai, posing a serious threat to public safety and public order.”
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