Police nab 20 in HK; more protests set
Credit to Author: THE MANILA TIMES| Date: Sun, 04 Aug 2019 16:17:04 +0000
HONG Kong: Police have arrested more than 20 people for unlawful assembly and assault after confrontations between protesters and authorities continued deep into the night.
Authorities say some violent protesters hurled petrol bombs, bricks, glass bottles and other objects at officers and refused to disperse at the pre-approved location on Saturday.
A peaceful pro-democracy rally devolved after protesters ignored police appeals to stick to the designated route, instead splintering off to various locations across Hong Kong’s northern Kowloon area.
Some blocked streets and a major tunnel, while others surrounded two different police stations, damaging vehicles parked inside one lot. Hong Kong has been rocked by nearly two months of mass demonstrations calling for greater democratic rights and government accountability.
In related news, pro-democracy protesters in are set to defy Chinese authorities with another two major rallies later Sunday, a day after police fired tear gas to disperse them in one of the city’s most renowned tourist districts.
Tsim Sha Tsui, a harborside district known for its luxury malls and hotels, was filled with acrid plumes of tear gas on Saturday night as small groups of hardcore protesters battled police in streets usually brimming with tourists and shoppers.
Semi-autonomous Hong Kong 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 signalled a hardening stance. Dozens of protesters were charged with rioting and the Chinese military said it was ready to quell the “intolerable” unrest if requested.
But the largely leaderless protest movement remains unbowed.
Two simultaneous marches are planned for Sunday afternoon, as well as a city-wide strike on Monday, making further clashes all but inevitable.
One of Sunday’s marches will try to end in a park near the Liaison Office, the department that represents China’s central government in the semi-autonomous hub.
Two weeks ago the office was pelted with eggs and paint, in a move that infuriated Beijing and sparked the rapidly escalating warnings from the mainland.
AP/AFP