Police use tear gas to slow protesters, reopen roads

Hong Kong on Saturday entered the second of four consecutive days of planned rallies, with thousands of pro-police demonstrators gathering on one side of the harbor and thousands of anti-government protesters on the other.

Those latter protests turned violent when police used tear gas in various parts of the Kowloon district to try to disperse protests and reopen blocked roads.

The protest movement that began as weekend marches has shifted form and become a part of daily life, with unrest is growing in the Asian financial hub.

Last week saw violent clashes downtown between riot police and demonstrators marching toward China’s local government headquarters.

The arrests of 49 people there — including 44 on a colonial-era rioting charge that carries a 10-year prison term — signal the city’s Beijing-backed government is heeding calls for a stronger response, bolstered by support from Chinese authorities.

Demonstrations began nearly nine weeks ago over opposition to legislation easing extraditions to China, and demands have since widened to include Chief Executive Carrie Lam’s resignation, the release of people detained at previous protests and an inquiry into the police’s use of force.

The Hong Kong government in a statement expressed regret over what it termed protesters’ “violent” and “radical” actions, including barricading major roads in the Yau Tsim Mong district and the entrance to the Cross Harbor Tunnel. It said the actions went beyond what a “civilized society” considers freedom of expression. “We express regret over such behaviors which are illegal and disregard the public order and the needs of other members of the public.” Acts that defaced the national flag were also condemned.