Hundreds arrested after a day of violence in HK

HONG Kong police said yesterday that they had arrested over 200 people involved in the unlawful assemblies and violence on Saturday and seized weapons including 188 petrol bombs.

As of 1am yesterday, over 200 people had been arrested for unlawful assembly, possession of offensive weapons, criminal damage and using facial covering while at an unlawful assembly, the police said in a statement.

The Organized Crime and Triad Bureau also arrested four men and a woman on Saturday for possession of offensive weapons.

In the operations, the police seized weapons including 188 petrol bombs, several extendable batons and pepper sprays.

Massive violence and vandalism occurred in various districts on Hong Kong Island and in Kowloon following unlawful assemblies on Saturday afternoon.

Rioters blocked a number of thoroughfares, set fire to barricades and hurled petrol bombs, bricks and hard objects at police officers.

Some rioters extensively vandalized and burnt selected shops and damaged mass transit railway facilities in an organized manner.

Some rioters even attacked passers-by and placed nails on roads, threatening the safety of road users and residents nearby.

It is noteworthy that on Saturday afternoon, a number of rioters destroyed the security facilities of Xinhua’s Asia-Pacific Regional Bureau office building in Hong Kong, spraypainted insulting words on the walls and smashed the front gate and some of its windows.

They also threw firebombs and paint bombs into the lobby and committed vandalism in it after trespassing.

Xinhua expresses strong indignation and condemnation against the rioters’ savage behavior and hopes that Hong Kong police will launch a serious investigation into the incident, a spokesperson said.

The police strongly condemned the rioters’ violence and vandalism, saying it completely disregarded law and order.

“The continued vandalism is seriously affecting public order and people’s daily living,” police said.

“Police reiterate that no violent behavior will be tolerated. Police will continue to take resolute enforcement action so as to safeguard the city’s public safety and bring all lawbreakers to justice.”

The Xinhua spokesperson said: “We resolutely support the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region government and police in stopping violence and chaos in accordance with the law. We also believe that this illegal act will be condemned by all sectors of Hong Kong society.”

(Xinhua)