Armed Mob Storms Hong Kong Train Station, Injures 36 in Violent Attacks
Amob of masked men armed with batons stormed a train station in the Hong Kong district of Yuen Long on Sunday. Footage posted on social media showed the men, all in white Tshirts, violently attacking people on platforms and inside train carriages.
At least 36 people were injured in the violence, local media report. The mob attack followed the latest pro-democracy rally in the centre of Hong Kong, where riot police had fired tear gas and rubber bullets at protesters.
It is unclear who the mob were or what the motives for the attack were. In a statement, the government said that in Yuen Long “some
people congregated at the platforms of the MTR station and train compartments, attacking commuters”.
“This is absolutely unacceptable to Hong Kong as a society that observes the rule of law. The SAR [Special Administrative Region] Government strongly condemns any violence and will seriously take enforcement actions.” Hong Kong Police also said: “Some people attacked commuters at the platforms of the Yuen Long MTR station and train compartments, resulting in multiple injuries.” The mob stormed Yuen Long MTR station at about 22.30 local time, hours after clashes betrween protestors and Police in the Sheung Wan area earlier in the day. Yuen Long is a more remote district of Hong Kong, and is far away from the site of the main pro-democracy protests.
What happened at the rally earlier on Sunday?
Riot Police fired tear gas and rubber bullets at protesters in Hong Kong at a large pro-democracy rally, and charged demonstrators who threw objects at Police lines. The protest route was altered with protesters told to stop at Wan Chai rather than Central, where the key government offices are located.
Some 4000 Police officers were deployed.
Bonnie Leung from the Civil Human Rights Front urged Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam to “stop turning a deaf ear to the Hong Kong people’s demands”. Organisers of Sunday’s protest say more than 430,000 people took part but police put the figure at 138,000. Mass protests have been held for weeks, initially over an extradition deal with mainland China but now covering other issues on democracy in Hong Kong.
Late on Sunday, riot Police equipped with masks and shields were seen swarming towards protesters close to a ferry terminal on the main island.
Images outside of the liaison office, China’s central government building, show signs covered in graffiti. One of the slogans reads: “You taught us peaceful marches are useless.”
Some protesters also covered the CCTV cameras outside a Police station with spray paint.
The latest rally was put on edge after a huge haul of explosives was found along with protest leaflets.
On Saturday, a counter-rally in support of the Police and against protest violence drew tens of thousands. Tear-gas, rubber bullets, the trashing of parliament by protesters and sporadic clashes have created the worst crisis in the territory’s recent history.
The Hong Kong government has since suspended trying to pursue the extradition bill.