Hong Kong police fire tear gas as black-clad protesters go back to streets
01 March, 2020
Hong Kong police fired tear gas on Saturday (Feb 29) to disperse hundreds of black-clad protesters, some armed with petrol bombs, throughout a rally to mark half a year because the authorities stormed a subway station and arrested demonstrators.
One officer drew his gun but didn't fire as protesters hurled plastic water bottles and umbrellas at him.
The clashes are being among the most violent in the Chinese-ruled city after a period of relative calm following strong anti-government protests that escalated in June this past year, with fears over the coronavirus keeping many residents indoors.
Hundreds of protesters gathered around Mong Kok district and the Prince Edward subway station, where some of the fiercest violence erupted on Aug 31, when police fired tear gas at protesters throwing petrol bombs.
Some chanted "Liberate Hong Kong, Revolution of our time," while some called for the authorities force to be disbanded, echoing slogans from previous demonstrations.
As the quantity of protesters increased, some set fires on Nathan Road in Kowloon district, sending plumes of thick, black smoke billowing in to the air of the shopping hub, where police responded with pepper spray and tear gas.
One demonstrator hurled a petrol bomb at a police vehicle but missed. Others create road blocks. Mong Kok subway station was closed.
The authorities said in a statement that they had used "minimum necessary force" for dispersal and arrest procedures and urged members of the public to leave the region immediately.
PUBLISHING TYCOON'S ARREST
The scenes cut back images of the clashes that plunged the former British colony into turmoil this past year and posed the gravest popular challenge to Chinese President Xi Jinping.
The arrest this week of publishing tycoon Jimmy Lai, an outspoken critic of Beijing, on charges of illegitimate assembly thrust the protest movement back to the spotlight and drew condemnation from Washington and international rights groups.
Lai has made financial contributions to Hong Kong's demonstrators.
While there were sporadic protests this season, they have already been largely relaxing and a return to violent clashes will pose a substantial challenge to embattled Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam as she grapples to contain the spread of the coronavirus.
The outbreak has piled pressure on Lam, in particular over her refusal to seal the border with mainland China, which includes infuriated many residents who view it as a proceed to appease Beijing.
The protesters are angry in what they see as creeping Chinese interference in Hong Kong, which returned to China in 1997 under a "one country, two systems" formula intended to guarantee freedoms that aren't enjoyed on the mainland.
China says it is focused on the arrangement and denies meddling. It has accused foreign governments like the United States and Britain of inciting the unrest.
Protesters have needed an independent inquiry in to the police force - among five demands made on the Hong Kong government - amid allegations of excessive force.
Police say they have already been restrained in the face of escalating violence.
The government announced in its budget this week that funding for the authorities force will reach HK$25.8 billion (US$3.31 billion), up 25 per cent from the prior year, drawing widespread criticism from democracy activists.
A lot more than 7,000 people have already been arrested in the anti-government protests, many on charges of illegitimate assembly or rioting, which carries a maximum sentence of a decade.
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