Violent protests hit HK once again

HONGKONG: Hong Kong riot police fired tear gas and water cannon at hardcore pro-democracy protesters hurling rocks and petrol bombs on Sunday, tipping the violence-plagued city back into chaos after a brief lull in clashes.

Tens of thousands of people defied authorities to march through the city in an unsanctioned rally on Sunday, the latest expression of a popular revolt that has raged for the last 99 days.

The rally descended into violence when small groups of hardcore activists- known within the movement as “braves” - attacked the city’s main government complex. Police fired repeated volleys of tear gas and deployed water cannon trucks after Molotov cocktails and rocks were thrown over security barriers surrounding the complex, which has become a frequent flashpoint in the ongoing protests.

Local television networks broadcast footage of protesters tearing down and burning a huge banner celebrating the upcoming 70th anniversary of the founding of communist China - as well as torching a Chinese flag. As evening set in, protesters retreated, chased by riot officers and water cannon firing blue-dyed water.

Hong Kong’s summer of rage was sparked by a now-abandoned plan to allow extraditions to the authoritarian mainland, a move that prompted millions to hit the streets.

Throughout Sunday evening, multiple brawls broke out between political opponents, including in the districts of Fortress Hill and North Point, the latter a bastion of pro-beijing sentiment. Witnesses said a group of Beijing supporters armed with poles and improvised weapons attacked people in Fortress Hill, but were then set upon by a larger crowd of anti-government protesters. Earlier in the day, protesters rallied outside Britain’s consulate in Hong Kong, demanding London do more to protect its former colonial subjects and ramp up pressure on Beijing over sliding freedoms.