Hong Kong protests: Police use tear gas to disperse crowds after petrol bombs thrown
Hong Kong police have fired tear gas to break-up protests against the government on Saturday after activists there petrol bombs and bricks.
Four MTR subway stations have been closed around a densely populated area of east Hong Kong called Kwun Tong, as thousands packed the streets to protest.
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Some protesters threw Molotov cocktails and bricks, while others tore up “smart lamp posts with surveillance equipment.
It resulted in police using tear gas for the first time in 10 days after a series of largely peaceful demonstrations.
There have been no reports of injuries at the time of writing.
The government released a statement that said protestors “posed a serious threat to the safety of everyone” at the scene.
“After repeated warnings to the protesters…, police officers deployed tear gas and minimum force to disperse protesters,” it read.
There were other smaller protests elsewhere within the same eastern area, but the airport, roads and railways leading to it operated normally despite activist plans to conduct a “stress test” of transport links.
There is no end in sight after almost three months of protests against the government.
On Friday night, thousands formed human chains around the city in a peaceful protest labelled “the Hong Kong way”.
Protestors have demanded greater democracy in the Chinese-ruled city, along with withdrawal of a currently suspended extradition bill, and an independent inquiry into police brutality.
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So far authorities have refused to meet any of the demands.
Further protests are planned in the coming weeks, including a mass march, a city-wide strike, and class boycotts at universities.