Anger swells vs `finest’ of Asia

ONCE dubbed “Asia’s Finest”, Hong Kong’s police are fighting allegations of using excessive violence against protesters, their headquarters besieged twice in the last week as calls for an independent inquiry into their tactics swell.

Pro-democracy lawmaker Wu Chi-wai was aghast as thick clouds of tear gas drifted through Hong Kong’s streets and rubber bullets slammed into ranks of protesters.

The international finance hub witnessed the worst political violence in a generation as police fought

largely young demonstrators opposed to a now postponed plan to allow extraditions to the Chinese mainland.

The tear gas was initially deployed against small but hardcore groups of protesters -- some throwing projectiles and using metal barriers as battering rams -- who were trying to occupy the city’s parliament on June 12.