After the brutal eviction of protesters from the Mong Kok protest camp by Hong Kong police, the protesters came back strong, surging into the streets and beating back the police lines, preservering in the face of batons and pepper-spray.
At one point, protesters started removing barricades set up off Wai Fung Plaza trying to break through to the northbound lane of Nathan Road. Police officers quickly pushed them back and used pepper spray to stop them.Scores of officers armed with riot gear soon arrived and clashed with protesters. Police were then seen swinging their batons spontaneously and pressing their shields against the crowd in an attempt to push them back to the protest zone.
At 9.45pm, police issued a statement to “strongly condemn” the actions of protesters occupying roads in Mong Kok for “endangering public order and public safety”.
“They wilfully blocked major thoroughfares, charged police cordon lines and shoved police officers to the ground,” the statement said.
Three police officers were injured in scuffles: one with a head injury, one with a dislocated shoulder and one with a hand injury respectively, police said, urging people not to go to the area.
Chaos in Mong Kok as police use batons, pepper spray to repel surge of protesters
[World Affairs Journal]
(via Naked Capitalism)
(Image: K.Y. Cheng)