Angry protests lead U.S. to issue travel warning

HONG KONG — The United States issued an advisory warning people about traveling to Hong Kong, urging visitors to “exercise increased caution” because of “confrontational” protests in the semiautonomous Chinese territory.

The alert issued on Wednesday by the State Department comes two days after a general strike and widespread demonstrations shook the city, and as Chinese officials have warned about the continuing unrest.

“Since June 2019, several large scale and smaller political demonstrations have taken place in various areas of Hong Kong,” the advisory warned. “Most have been peaceful, but some have turned confrontational or resulted in violent clashes. The protests and confrontations have spilled over into neighborhoods other than those where the police have permitted marches or rallies. These demonstrations, which can take place with little or no notice, are likely to continue.”

Several other countries, including Australia, Britain, Ireland, Japan and Singapore, have issued similar travel warnings.

Protests are planned starting Friday at Hong Kong’s airport, which could disrupt travel to and from the city.

The Hong Kong government said Thursday that the city remained a welcoming place for visitors and had a long tradition of peaceful protests.

“However, in recent weeks, some violent protesters have blocked roadways, vandalized property and confronted police after the end of some processions,” the government said in a written statement. “The impact of these illegal confrontations is confined to a limited area near the procession routes, and is not widespread.”