Triad link in protest arrests

HONG KONG: Police arrested 19 people, some believed to have organised crime ties, during a night of brawls stretching into yesterday as mobs tried to drive pro-democracy protesters from the streets after a week of mostly peaceful demonstration.

At least 12 people and six officers were injured in clashes, a police spokesman said. Protest leaders called off talks on political reforms with the Government after the battles kicked off Friday afternoon in gritty, blue-collar Mong Kok.

Police struggled for hours to control the battles as attackers pushed, shoved and jeered the protesters. Those arrested face charges of unlawful assembly, fighting in public and assault.

Eight are believed to backgrounds involving triads.

Earlier, the students had agreed to talks with the Government proposed by Hong Kong’s leader, Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying. But protesters were unhappy with his refusal to yield to demands for his resignation.

The cancellation of the talks — prompted by clashes with men trying to tear down makeshift barricades and tents set up by the demonstrators — left the next steps in the crisis uncertain.

It was unclear if those scuffles were spontaneous or had been organised, although some of the attackers wore blue ribbons signalling support for the mainland Chinese Government, while the protesters have yellow ribbons.

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